OKLAHOMA CITY – On Thursday, March 20, the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP) will host a “Don’t Kill for Me” vigil during the scheduled execution of Wendell Arden Grissom.
As Oklahoma prepares to execute its first death row prisoner of 2025, activists and faith leaders are calling on the public to stand in solidarity against capital punishment. The gathering will begin at 9 a.m. in front of the Governor’s Mansion at 820 NE 23rd Street.
The vigil, a longstanding tradition for anti-death penalty advocates, will feature an hour of silent protest before transitioning into a circle of prayer and contemplation. Participants will remain in silence at 10:00 a.m. until confirmation is received that Grissom’s execution has been carried out or stayed. If postponed, the vigil will be canceled.
Vigil planned during Oklahoma’s first execution of 2025
Grissom, 56, was convicted of the 2005 murder of 23-year-old Amber Dawn Matthews during a Blaine County home invasion. His clemency plea was denied on February 5 by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in a 4-1 vote, clearing the path for his lethal injection.
“Grissom was there to kill,” Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Jennifer Crabb told the board.
Meanwhile, Rev. Don Heath, chair of OK-CADP, emphasized that Grissom’s background, including extensive brain damage and a history of substance abuse, highlights the ethical concerns surrounding capital punishment. “Intentional infliction of lethal violence by the state will bring neither justice nor peace,” Heath stated.
Despite the vigil, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt remains unlikely to halt the execution.
Since Oklahoma resumed executions in 2021 after a six-year moratorium, the state has executed 15 individuals, more than nearly any other state during that time. Despite ongoing concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of the state’s capital punishment system, including reports of racial bias,
Oklahoma continues to move forward with executions, even as public support for the death penalty has declined nationally.
A history of botched executions
In past coverage by the Black Wall Street Times highlighted the troubling racial disparities in Oklahoma’s death penalty system, as well as the state’s repeated failures in administering lethal injections.
Multiple executions have drawn scrutiny due to procedural failures, including the botched 2014 execution of Clayton Lockett, which left him convulsing for 43 minutes before he ultimately died of a heart attack.
Oklahoma’s aggressive execution schedule has also raised legal and ethical concerns, particularly in cases involving prisoners with intellectual disabilities or severe mental illnesses. The state currently ranks second in the nation for the number of executions carried out per capita, trailing only Texas, according to data from Death Penalty Information Center.
For anti-death penalty activists, the execution of Grissom is another example of a deeply flawed system that disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. With evidence of wrongful convictions, racial bias, and botched lethal injections, groups like OK-CADP continue to push for an end to capital punishment in the state.
The upcoming vigil serves as both a protest and a call to action. OK-CADP urges community members, faith leaders, and concerned citizens to attend and show their support for ending the death penalty in Oklahoma.
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