Garry Allen executed in Oklahoma

Allen’s sanity has been questioned leading up to his execution.

Garry Allen was executed tonight in Oklahoma. Allen was put to death for the murder of his ex-wife and mother of his two children. in 1986.

On a night when the country elects a new President, officials at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester were busy making preparations for the execution of Garry Allen. Even though the Pardon and Parole Board had recommended a commutation of Allen’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2005, Governor Mary Fallin decided to go against their recommendation. Allen’s attorney’s argue that he was mentally ill at the time of the murder and his mental state has worsened since then.

Garry Allen’s case is unique as he entered a “blind guilty plea” – this means that he pleaded guilty to a capital murder case without working out a deal with the prosecution to spare him from the death penalty. Allen testified that he pleaded guilty to spare the families of he and his victim’s the ordeal of a trial but his attorney’s believe his mental illness and drug problems are the real reason he made the plea.

On November 21st, 1986 Garry Allen shot his 42-year-old Lawanna Titsworth just days after she had moved out of the home where she lived with Allen and her two sons. 911 was called and when an officer in the area responded to the call, Allen grabbed his gun and during a struggle he was shot in the face.

We were unable to find a photo of the victim, Lawanna Gail Titsworth, if anyone is able to provide us with one, we will happily post it on our site.

Any friends or relatives of either Garry Allen or Lawanna Titsworth are welcome to submit statements to Crime Ticker and we will post them on our website.

Allen’s last words were largely unintelligible, he spoke of the Presidential election, Jesus and often said “Hi” to his attorney who was watching from the witness room.

Garry Allen was pronounced dead at 7:10pm EST.

Garry Allen gets a 30 stay, execution was planned for tonight

Allen received a 30 day stay of execution late yesterday.

Late yesterday afternoon a federal judge granted Garry Allen a 30 day stay of execution.

Allen’s attorneys claim that Allen was schizophrenic at the time of the crime and his mental condition has only deteriorated since being imprisoned for the murder of Lawanna Gail Titsworth.

The Oklahoma attorney general has appealed the stay.

Garry Allen execution to proceed as clemency denied

Allen has the eye patch after being shot in the face by police during a struggle at his arrest.

Unless there is a successful last minute appeal, Garry Allen has only a few days left to live. For Allen and his attorneys, there was another set-back as Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin denied clemency for the inmate who is to be put to death for the murder of his ex-wife and mother of his two children. in 1986.

Even though the Pardon and Parole Board has recommended a commutation of Allen’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole way back in 2005, Fallin decided to go against their recommendation. Allen’s attorney’s argue that he was mentally ill at the time of the murder and his mental state has worsened since then.

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Eight executions scheduled for April

With eight executions scheduled for the month of April, it is the busiest month so far in 2012 for U.S. death row inmates.

April 5th, 2012 – Utah

Archuleta is only the fourth person to face the firing squad since 1976.

The first execution scheduled is Thursday for Michael Archuleta in the state of Utah. While a stay is likely in his execution (as he still has an appeal option in his case), he is different because unlike the other inmates scheduled to die this month, his will be executed by firing squad. Up until 2004 Utah death row inmates were given the option of execution at the time of their sentencing.

Archuleta was sentenced to death for the murder of 28-year-old Gordon Ray Church in which he was beaten to death with a tire iron.

April 12th, 2012 – Alabama and Oklahoma

Grayson was 18-years-old at the time of the crime.

There are two executions scheduled on this day. The first lethal injection is scheduled for Carey Grayson in Alabama. Grayson, 18 at the time of his crime was part of a group of teens that murdered 37-year-old hitchhiker Vickie Deblieux. He and a group of other teenage friends picked up Deblieux and stopped in a wooded area to drink and do drugs. When she tried to run away they attacked her, choked her to death and then threw her body off a cliff. They then climbed down the cliff and mutilated her body by cutting off her fingers, stabbing her and cutting out her lung. Grayson’s accomplices, 17-years-old at the time of the crime were given life sentences.

Allen's sanity has been questioned leading up to his execution.

The other scheduled execution is for Garry Allen. Allen was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Gail Titsworth, his girlfriend at the time and mother to his two sons. After a confrontation in front of a day care center, he shot her in the chest. After a day care worker approached to help, she was shot as well. While there is no question as to Allen’s guilt, his case had been stayed to assess his sanity and while the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole board had recommended clemency, Governor Fallin had rejected the recommendation.

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