Oklahoma Prepares for Execution of Convicted Killer Amidst Claims of Innocence and Intellectual Disability

Oklahoma is gearing up for the execution of Michael Dewayne Smith, 41, convicted of the fatal shootings of Janet Moore, 41, and Sharath Pulluru, 22, in separate incidents in Oklahoma City over two decades ago. Scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Thursday, Smith’s case marks the first execution in Oklahoma this year and the twelfth since the state resumed executions in 2021, following a lengthy hiatus due to execution issues in 2014 and 2015.

In a clemency hearing last month, Smith conveyed his “deepest apologies and deepest sorrows to the families” of the victims, vehemently denying responsibility for the crimes. Despite occasional tears during his 15-minute address, Smith’s plea for clemency was rejected in a 4-1 vote by the board. He maintained that he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incidents and claimed to have no recollection of the events leading to his arrest.

According to prosecutors, Smith, identified as a ruthless gang member, perpetrated the killings as acts of revenge. They allege that he mistakenly targeted Moore, believing her son had disclosed his whereabouts to the authorities. Later the same day, prosecutors assert that Smith fatally shot Pulluru, a convenience store clerk, due to perceived disrespect toward his gang during a newspaper interview.

Smith’s attorney, Mark Henricksen, argued that his client is intellectually disabled, exacerbated by prolonged drug abuse, advocating for sparing his life and sentencing him to life imprisonment instead. Henricksen contended that Smith’s confession to the police, made under the influence of PCP, lacks factual support for key elements of the case.