Tremane Wood unresponsive after reprieve
An Oklahoma death row inmate, Tremane Wood, was rushed to the hospital after being found unresponsive in his cell just hours after his execution was stayed. Governor Kevin Stitt had commuted his death sentence to life without parole mere moments before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection.
Following the commutation, prison guards discovered Wood in his cell during a routine check. He was alone, and officials said the medical event was caused by stress and dehydration. Wood himself said he believed he slipped off his bunk after losing consciousness.
Wood reported that he had not eaten anything since the previous day and insisted he had not harmed himself. He later regained consciousness, and by evening was described by prison officials as “stable and alert.”
In a recorded interview after the incident, Wood thanked Governor Stitt for sparing his life. He also said he “didn’t have all [his] senses” when he next woke up in the infirmary, noting he had suffered minor injuries, including a busted lip.
Wood had been on death row for more than two decades. His conviction stemmed from a 2002 crime in which he was found guilty of fatally stabbing 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf during a robbery. He has maintained that his brother, who later died in prison, carried out the stabbing.
Governor Stitt’s decision to commute Wood’s sentence cited Christian forgiveness and love, and noted support from the victim’s family. This is only the second clemency granted by Stitt during his nearly seven-year tenure.
