Attorney General Gentner Drummond has asked the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to deny clemency for Kendrick Simpson, who was sentenced to death for the 2006 drive-by murders of Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones.
In a filing submitted on December 19, Drummond argued that Simpson has not shown genuine remorse and has tried to avoid responsibility for his actions. Drummond stated that Simpson continues to show violent behavior, which led the jury to unanimously decide on the death penalty.
“Kendrick Simpson hunted his victims, executed them without hesitation, and then boasted about what he had done,” Drummond said. “The families left behind have endured unimaginable pain, and nothing in Simpson’s decades on death row has shown that he deserves the mercy he refused to give to others.”
According to details from the case, Simpson followed Palmer, Jones, and another individual through Oklahoma City before firing about 20 rounds from an AK-style rifle into their car. Palmer and Jones died at the scene. The third person survived because he was seated in the back seat. A stray bullet also entered a nearby home but did not injure anyone.
The clemency request also describes a history of violence by Simpson both before and after the murders. After killing Palmer and Jones, Simpson threatened accomplices and tried to arrange for the murder of the only surviving witness. Before these events, he committed an armed home-invasion robbery where he shot a business owner execution-style.
Simpson’s clemency hearing is scheduled for January 15. His execution date is set for February 12.