Kendrick Simpson Execution Draws Protest at Governor’s Mansion

OKLAHOMA CITY — As the state of Oklahoma prepares to carry out its first execution of 2026, death penalty abolition advocates are calling for prayer, protest, and reflection. The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP) will host a “Don’t Kill for Me” vigil on Thursday morning during the scheduled execution of Kendrick Antonio Simpson. The event will begin at 9 a.m. in front of the Governor’s Mansion, located at 820 NE 23rd Street at Phillips Avenue.

At 10 a.m., the time Simpson is scheduled to be executed, participants will stand in silence. The silence will continue until either a stay of execution is announced or the execution is carried out. Organizers say the vigil will conclude with a circle of prayer and contemplation.

The vigil will be canceled if the execution is postponed or stayed.

A separate demonstration is also planned beginning at 9 a.m. outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, where executions are carried out.

Clemency Denied

On Jan. 14, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3–2 to deny clemency for Kendrick Simpson, who is now 45 years old. Simpson was convicted in the 2006 murders of Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones.

According to advocates, Simpson has been diagnosed with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Supporters argue that his mental health history and trauma were not sufficiently considered.

If carried out, Simpson would be Oklahoma’s seventeenth execution since the state resumed executions in October 2021.

He would also be the first person executed in Oklahoma in 2026.

Opposition to Capital Punishment

Dr. Elizabeth Overman, chair of OK-CADP, sharply criticized the state’s use of capital punishment.

“The death penalty is the ultimate violation of the most fundamental human right: the right to life,” Overman said in a statement. “It is cruel, inhumane, and degrading. It is a violation of the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

Members of the ACLU of Oklahoma and the Julius Jones Institute are expected to participate in the vigil.

Oklahoma remains one of the most active death penalty states in the nation. Since executions resumed in 2021, the state has carried out multiple death warrants. Those executions continue despite legal and ethical debates over lethal injections, mental health, and racial disparities.

For abolition advocates, Thursday’s vigil is both a protest and a plea — a call for clemency, reform, and ultimately, an end to the death penalty in Oklahoma.

Whether a stay is granted or the execution proceeds, organizers say they intend to bear witness.