Oklahoma governor saves death row inmate, calls it justice. But evidence says he never stopped being a criminal, even behind bars

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt spared the life of death row inmate Tremane Wood, commuting his sentence to life without parole just hours before he was scheduled to be executed on November 13, 2025. This is a massive decision because the governor has only granted clemency one other time in his seven years in office, and only half a dozen prisoners have received clemency in Oklahoma since 1972, per Fox News.

Wood, who is 46, was originally sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old farmworker Ronnie Wipf during a robbery in Oklahoma City on New Year’s Day in 2002. Stitt’s action followed a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which voted 3-2 in favor of clemency on November 5.

The governor explained his rationale, noting that the new punishment ensures a severe sentence while also aligning with the justice delivered to Wood’s accomplice. “After a thorough review of the facts and prayerful consideration, I have chosen to accept the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to commute Tremane Wood’s sentence to life without parole,” Stitt said in his statement. He stressed that this action “ensures a severe punishment that keeps a violent offender off the streets forever.”

A condemned man will stay alive for a bit longer

A major factor in the push for clemency was the lingering doubt surrounding who actually delivered the fatal wound. Wood’s attorneys argued during his clemency hearing that his brother, Zjaiton, was the person who fatally stabbed Wipf during the robbery. Zjaiton died in prison in 2019, but reports indicate he had allegedly confessed to killing several people while incarcerated, including Wipf. Stitt acknowledged the victim’s family in his statement, saying he prayed for the family of Ronnie Wipf and the surviving victim, Arnie, calling them “models of Christian forgiveness and love.”

While the governor accepted the board’s recommendation, the Attorney General’s Office strongly opposed the decision, citing Wood’s shocking behavior while incarcerated. Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office presented evidence that Wood didn’t exactly use his time on death row for reflection. This man was allegedly running a sophisticated criminal operation from behind bars. He used multiple contraband cellphones to distribute drugs and engage in gang violence.

The state even provided the Pardon and Parole Board with a video that allegedly showed a beating Wood paid for and insisted be sent to him. That’s absolutely awful behavior for someone awaiting execution, and you can understand why the AG was furious about the commutation.

Drummond didn’t mince words regarding Wood’s continued criminality. “After this dangerous criminal took a young man’s life, he stayed fully active in the criminal world from behind bars,” the Attorney General wrote in a statement. “I am disappointed by the Pardon and Parole Board’s decision today but appreciate their thoughtful deliberation.” Drummond affirmed that his office will continue to pursue justice for Ronnie Wipf.

Advocacy groups like the Legal Defense Fund also weighed in, arguing that Wood was failed by the system initially. They claimed his trial may have been “infected by racial bias” because the jury was nearly all white, with only one Black juror. They also pointed out that Wood allegedly received poor legal representation early on. The Legal Defense Fund stated that the clemency board “has made clear that Wood should not die nor does the victim’s family seek his death.”