Oklahoma Conducts First Execution of 2024 Amid Controversy

Michael Dewayne Smith was executed despite claims of innocence and concerns over racial and intellectual disability biases.

Oklahoma executed Michael Dewayne Smith, marking the state's first execution in 2024 and reigniting debates over the death penalty and racial justice.
Smith, convicted of the 2002 murders of Janet Moore and Sharath Pulluru, maintained his innocence, citing a lack of memory due to drug use and questioning the reliability of his confession.
Despite a push for clemency based on claims of innocence, intellectual disability, and racial bias, Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board denied Smith's plea.
Smith's case highlighted ongoing concerns about the death penalty's intersection with racial disparities and the execution of individuals with potential intellectual disabilities.
The execution follows Oklahoma's controversial decision to resume capital punishment in 2021 after a hiatus due to botched lethal injections, raising questions about the state's execution protocol.