Death-row prisoner rescued twice in one day

An Oklahoma prisoner who came within seconds of execution was found unconscious in his cell only hours after learning he would no longer face lethal injection.

Officials say the collapse followed extreme stress and dehydration after the last-minute decision that shifted his fate from death row to life imprisonment.

This was reported by the Boston Globe.

Seconds from execution

Tremane Wood, aged 46, had already been moved to a holding cell near Oklahoma’s death chamber on Thursday morning when the governor’s office intervened.

Governor Kevin Stitt announced he would commute Wood’s sentence to life without parole, citing the victim’s family’s support for clemency and their display of what he called “forgiveness and Christian love.”

Wood had been convicted in the 2002 killing of 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf during a botched robbery.

Throughout his appeals, he maintained that his brother, who later died while serving a life sentence, was the actual killer.

Collapse in his cell

According to prison spokeswoman Kay Thompson, guards later found Wood unconscious during a routine check.

He had met with his legal team earlier in the day and showed no signs of distress at that time.

Medical staff treated him and concluded he had collapsed as a result of dehydration and stress. He was stabilised in the infirmary.

In a recording released by prison officials, Wood said: “I wasn’t feeling well. I woke up in the infirmary with a broken head and a broken lip and that’s about it.”

He added that he had not eaten since the previous day and insisted he had not attempted to harm himself.

Gratitude despite ordeal

Wood said he fainted while lying down in his cell and could not recall the fall.

At the end of the recording, he added a message: “Tell Governor Stitt thank you.”

His case marks only the second time in nearly seven years that the Republican governor has granted clemency in a death-penalty case.

Sources: Boston Globe; Oklahoma Department of Corrections; Digi24

This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation