A man described as a “ruthless and violent killer” has been executed by the US government, marking the second execution this year. Kendrick Simpson, aged 45, was put to death by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary for the murders of 19-year-old Anthony Jones and 20-year-old Glen Palmer in 2006. The fatal shootings occurred after a confrontation at an Oklahoma City club.
Simpson, who had relocated to Oklahoma City from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, confessed to the killings during a recent clemency hearing. He expressed remorse to the families of the victims and a third individual present during the incident, stating, “I apologize for taking your sons’ lives. I take full responsibility without excuses or blame.”
Despite his apology, the state’s Pardon and Parole Board voted against granting Simpson clemency. The US Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal to halt the execution, with Simpson’s legal team arguing that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to childhood trauma, emphasizing his need for mercy and compassion.
During the night of the crime in January 2006, prosecutors revealed that Simpson had stashed an assault rifle in a vehicle that he and his companions drove to a club in northwest Oklahoma City. Following a dispute with Palmer at the club, Simpson and his associates pursued Palmer and Jones from a nearby gas station, where Simpson fired approximately 20 rounds into their vehicle.
Both victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Some family members of the victims supported Simpson’s execution, including Crystal Allison, Palmer’s sister, who expressed in a letter to the board her belief that Simpson deserved the ultimate penalty for his actions.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised the decision to deny Simpson clemency, labeling him as a “ruthless and violent killer who mercilessly targeted his victims.”
