Gilbert Ray Postelle execution NEWS – Oklahoma death row inmate dies by lethal injection after huge last meal revealed

Why did Postelle target his victims?

Postelle, 35, admitted to being a part of the 2005 shooting killings of four people at a mobile home park.

Postelle allegedly targeted James Alderson, Terry Smith, Donnie Swindle, and Amy Wright because he felt they were responsible for his father’s injury in a motorbike accident.

On Memorial Day in 2005, Postelle allegedly shot 56 bullets into Donnie Swindle’s home, according to authorities.

What is Fair and Just Prosecution?

They are a bipartisan network of prosecutors “pledging to work toward the elimination of the death penalty,” according to their joint statement.

The group of district attorneys and state attorneys general is primarily Democratic but includes at least one Republican — district attorney of Winnebago County, Wisconsin Christian Gossett.

They represent some of the country’s most populous counties and cities, as well as rural areas.

Ending the death penalty

Fifty-six elected prosecutors from 26 states have pledged to work to abolish the death penalty.

This includes refusing to support the execution of people with intellectual disabilities, seeking commutations, and assisting in the overturning of sentences in cases of racial bias, negligent defense counsel, or other misconduct.

A joint statement from bipartisan network of prosecutors Fair and Just Prosecution read: “… we have all now arrived at the same inexorable conclusion: our country’s system of capital punishment is
broken.

“It is time to work together toward systemic changes that will bring about the elimination of the death penalty nationwide.”

Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty statement, continued

Randy Bauman, OK-CADP Board Member, also said in a statement, “Today the State of Oklahoma killed another person suffering from mental deficits; a person unable to make rational decisions as a young kid influenced by a parent.”

“Gil Postelle as an adult deeply regretted what he did in his youth. He still suffered mentally, but was liked by those who got to know him and loved by many; a person now purposefully dead at the hands of the State of Oklahoma with absolutely nothing gained in his death.”

Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty statement

The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty released a statement after Postelle’s death was confirmed.

Rev Don Heath, Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP) chair, said in a statement, “Gilbert Postelle is a sweet man. The guards cried as they took him to the 35-day cell.”

“Only the morally ill execute the mentally ill, which is becoming commonplace in Oklahoma. It diminishes the humanity in all of us.”

Who confirmed Postelle’s execution?

DOC spokesman Justin Wolf received a phone call with the confirmation of Gilbert Postelle’s time of death.

Reporter Keaton Ross shared a video of Wolf making the announcement after receiving the call.

Postelle was pronounced dead at 10.14am.

Postelle is plaintiff in death penalty lawsuit

Postelle is the fourth person killed by Oklahoma in recent months, the Huffington Post noted.

His death comes amid a lawsuit over whether or not Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocol is unconstitutionally cruel.

Postelle was a plaintiff in that lawsuit, the outlet revealed.

It is set to go to trial in less than two weeks.

How long can someone be on death row?

Due to the jurisdiction’s extensive and time-consuming appeals procedures, inmates in the United States may have to wait several years before being executed.

Between 1977 and 2010, the period between sentencing and execution grew substantially, with a 22 percent rise between 1989 and 1990 and a comparable increase between 2008 and 2009.

In 2010, the average time between sentencing and execution for a death row inmate was approximately 15 years.

In the United States, over a quarter of convicts on death row die of natural causes while awaiting execution.

States that still have capital punishment, continued

The remaining states are:

• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Wyoming

States that still have capital punishment

The death penalty is still in place in twenty-seven states in the United States:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi

What is execution by firing squad?

Execution by firing squad, often known as fusillading, is a kind of capital punishment used primarily in the military and during times of war.

Shooting as a method of execution is a long-standing practice.

It is used for a variety of reasons, including the fact that weapons are generally easily available, and a gunshot to a crucial organ, such as the brain or heart, usually kills swiftly.

How many people have been executed in Oklahoma?

Between 1915 and 2022, the Oklahoma State Penitentiary executed a total of 195 men and three women.

Eighty-two were electrocuted, one – a federal prisoner – was hanged, and 115 were put to death by lethal injection.

The last electrocution was carried out in 1966.

On September 10, 1990, Charles Troy Coleman became the first inmate in Oklahoma to be executed via lethal injection.

Coleman was found guilty of Murder in the First Degree in Muskogee County in 1979.

Death row in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Legislature passed the current death penalty statute in 1977, according to Oklahoma’s state website.

The execution is carried out via lethal injection.

Oklahoma’s first death penalty statute stipulated that electrocution conduct executions.

The death sentence, as it was applied at the time, was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in 1972.

Does Oklahoma use firing squad for executions?

Since statehood, Oklahoma has never employed the firing squad to execute criminals.

Current state law allows for it if alternative procedures, such as lethal injection, are found to be unlawful or unavailable.

Why did Postelle ask for stay of execution?

Gilbert Postelle requested a stay of execution in December 2021 after claiming the lethal injection penalty is unconstitutional.

He instead requested to be executed by firing squad, a request that was denied.

What did Mary Jo Swindle say?

Speaking against Postelle’s family, the mother of victim Donnie Swindle, Mary Jo Swindle, said: “We never got to see him after he was murdered because his body was riddled and torn with bullets.

“You may be a changed man, but my son and three others are still dead.”

Postelle’s family, part three

Thompson continued: “Executing Gil is not going to bring those people back. It’s only creating more victims.

“He deserves a second chance execution affects more than one person.

“The system says execution is justice for murder, yet execution is murder.

“So where is our justice when the state murders the person we love and love?”

Postelle’s family, continued

Jackie Thompson, Postelle’s fiancé, read a letter during a news conference on February 1, 2022, in which she, like his daughter, requested that Postelle’s life be spared.

“Gil is kind, loving, funny, loyal, and has a heart of gold. He is amazing in more ways than one. Gilbert Postelle is someone’s husband and I say husband because we don’t need a paper to prove our love,” Thompson said.

“He is a dad, a son, a brother, and a friend. How can the system say it’s wrong to kill, but yet they do it. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

What did Postelle’s family say?

Gilbert Postelle and his ex-wife Jenny have a daughter, Kaylei Johnson, and he is presently engaged to Jackie Thompson, an Oklahoma native.

Johnson talked about her father’s integrity and appealed for his life to be spared when the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board heard both sides after Postelle requested mercy.

“My dad is my inspiration. He keeps me going,” Kayle said.

“He calls me his beautiful daughter and says he’s proud of me. I don’t want to lose my dad.”

Postelle’s final moments, continued

For another minute or two, his chest rose and fell gently, according to The Oklahoman.

His final movement was a twitching of a finger at 10.09am.

At 10.10 am, media witness Sean Murphy of The Associated Press saw a tear slide down the side of his cheek.

Dr Ervin Yen was in the witness room with reporters from the Associated Press, The Oklahoman, two Oklahoma City TV stations, and The Frontier.

Postelle’s final moments

Postelle remained quiet and largely gazed straight up during his execution on Thursday, according to The Oklahoman.

He looked at the five media witnesses three times.

At 10am, the curtain in the execution room rose, and he was asked if he had any final remarks.

By 10.02 am, his eyes were drooping. A minute later, they were mostly closed.

After a doctor entered the cell and checked him, he was declared unconscious at 10.06am.

Gilbert Postelle’s last meal

Postelle had 20 chicken nuggets with ranch, BBQ, and honey mustard dipping sauces during his last dinner on Wednesday, according to The Oklahoman.

He also ordered three huge ketchup-flavored fries, a crispy chicken sandwich, a chicken sandwich, a large cola, and a caramel frappe.

Execution had “zero complications”

According to Attorney General John O’Connor, the execution was carried out “with zero complications.”

Corrections Department Director Scott Crow told reporters: “”I believe the last couple of executions have been very smooth.”

Execution had “zero complications”

According to Attorney General John O’Connor, the execution was carried out “with zero complications.”

Corrections Department Director Scott Crow told reporters: “”I believe the last couple of executions have been very smooth.”

When was Postelle declared dead?

Postelle was pronounced dead at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at 10.14am.

He was 35 years old at the time.

He apologized for killing four people at his clemency hearing in December, but he made no final comment on Thursday.