Today, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended clemency for Tremane Wood, a man scheduled to be executed by the state.
Ultimately, his life is now in Governor Kevin Stitt’s hands. As a pastor, a father, and a man who has buried his own child because of violence, I am asking Governor Stitt to grant mercy, to search his heart, and choose life over death.
I know the pain of losing a loved one to violence. In 2008, my grandsons Donivan and Adrion were leaving church one Sunday afternoon when gunfire erupted from a passing car. It was a case of mistaken identity. My 16-year-old grandson Donivan was hit 36 times and killed. His younger brother Adrion was paralyzed from the waist down. Two of their cousins were also shot; one lost an eye and the use of an arm.
When the young men responsible were brought to trial, my family was given the option to seek the death penalty. We chose not to. Not because we didn’t want justice, but because we understood that taking another life wouldn’t bring Donivan back. My closure came not from their punishment, but from forgiveness.
Years later, my son Terence Crutcher was killed by a Tulsa police officer. Once again, I had to choose between bitterness and forgiveness. And once again, I forgave.
That’s why I speak now, not only as a grieving father and grandfather, but as a man of faith who believes in the redemptive power of mercy. The family of murder victim Ronnie Wipf deserves peace, but execution will not bring it. It will only add to the cycle of loss and pain.
Scripture reminds us that vengeance belongs to God. As a minister, I know that true justice is not about retribution; it is about restoration. We cannot preach forgiveness on Sunday and carry out executions on Monday.
Governor Stitt, when you consider Tremane Wood’s fate, I ask that you look beyond the crime and see the human being. Consider what it means to take a life in the name of the state. Consider what it means to stand before God and give an account of that decision.
Mercy does not erase wrongdoing; it acknowledges our shared humanity. It affirms that redemption is possible even in the darkest moments.
I pray that the love of God will prevail and that Oklahoma will choose compassion over killing.