Oklahoma Executes Man Who Killed Elderly Couple in 2003

Oklahoma executed a man Thursday who was convicted of killing an elderly couple and committing other crimes 20 years ago before authorities caught up to him in Texas after a manhunt. Scott James Eizember, 62, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was pronounced dead at 10:15am. "I'm at peace," Eizember said, strapped to a gurney with an intravenous line in his left arm. "My conscience is clear, completely. I love my children." Once the lethal drugs began to flow, Eizember could be seen chatting with his spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeffrey Hood, who was inside the execution chamber with him, the AP reports. Hood, a vocal opponent of the death penalty, was allowed in the chamber after prison officials dropped their objections Wednesday.

Eizember’s attorneys did not deny he killed AJ Cantrell, 76, and his wife, Patsy Cantrell, 70, on Oct. 18, 2003. But they told the state’s Pardon and Parole Board last month that the killings were unplanned and spontaneous and his life still had value. The board voted 3-2 to reject a clemency recommendation. After the execution, several members of the Cantrell family spoke of the pain the family has endured and voiced concern at the length of time it took for Eizember to be executed. "After living this nightmare, I must say that 20 years is too long for justice to be served," said Johnny Melton, the slain couple's nephew. "We want to get it right and we absolutely want to ensure that everyone's rights are protected, but the process is much too slow.”

Prosecutors said Eizember broke into the Cantrells' home in Depew, Oklahoma, after he saw them leave so he could lie in wait for his ex-girlfriend, Kathryn Smith, who lived across the street. After killing the couple when they came home unexpectedly, Eizember walked across the street and entered Smith's home, shot her son in the back and attacked her mother. Both survived and Eizember ultimately sped out of town in a stolen vehicle. He hid out in wooded areas for more than 30 days. He eventually made his way to Arkansas in a stolen car and kidnapped a physician and his wife at gunpoint, prosecutors said. After driving with the couple to Texas, he finally was captured near the town of Lufkin after the physician pulled out a pistol stashed in the couple's van and shot Eizember four times, authorities said. (More execution stories.)