- Julius Jones was put on death row in 2002 after being convicted of first-degree murder.
- The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board previously recommended that Jones be granted clemency.
- Gov. Kevin Stitt reduced his sentence to life imprisonment hours before his scheduled execution.
Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma commuted the death sentence of Julius Jones hours before his scheduled execution.
Jones, who has maintained his innocence since his 2002 conviction, is now facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kelli Masters, one of the attorneys representing Jones, told Insider that up until Stitt's last-minute announcement to spare his life, Jones was made to follow the prodecures required before an execution: he had written his final words, eaten his final meal, and had his final meeting with his family.
"I had what I thought was my last conversation with him a couple of nights ago," she said. "He was holding out hope that there might be a last-minute miracle."
She said Jones was also thinking about his family and hoping that his story may impact other people's lives.
Kim Kardashian, who has been a vocal advocate for his release, posted a series of tweets about what his final 24 hours would look like.
—Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 16, 2021
Kardashian also mentioned that he had to decide who would receive his belongings and remains.
—Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 16, 2021
Jones was convicted in 2002 of first-degree murder in the 1999 killing of Paul Howell in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Howell was shot in the head in front of his two daughters during an armed robbery.
Jones, a freshman at the University of Oklahoma at the time, was found guilty after a 14-day trial, and three hours of deliberation, according to a 2002 Oklahoman article.
"In a death-penalty case of a Black man accused of killing a rich white guy, I don't think there is any possible way you could have gotten a fair trial in Oklahoma County. I think the verdict proved it," said his defense attorney David McKenzie after Jones received his verdict in 2002.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board previously recommended that Jones' sentence be reduced from death penalty to life with the possibility of parole.
"Truth is, I didn't shoot that man. I didn't kill Mr. Paul Howell. I wasn't involved in it in any way," Jones said after his clemency hearing on November 1.
Though he'll be pulled off death row, he faces "life imprisonment without the possibility of parole," as Stitt wrote in his executive order.
Masters said that, while on death row, Jones was unable to go outside or have any contact without outsiders beyond attorneys and prison staff. But, she added, he will now be processed into another prison where he'll no longer be in the same "solitary confinement situation."
"The remarkable thing is what a genuinely good-hearted person he is and that she hasn't let this define him or break him," Masters said about Jones while being confined.
Amanda Bass, an attorney on Jones' legal team, said in a previous statement to Insider that the team hoped Stitt would have given Jones the "possibility of parole in light of the overwhelming evidence of Julius's innocence."
It is unclear at this time what steps, if any, Jones' legal team will take next.
A series of attempts were also made to draw attention to Jones's execution including school walkouts, community organizing, letters from athletes to Stitt, and his family's persistent outreach to the governor.
Stitt's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.