Oklahoma Executes Kendrick Simpson for 2006 Drive-By Shooting

Fri Feb 13 2026 01:00:21 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The death of Kendrick Simpson marks the first execution of the year in Oklahoma, following his conviction for a drive-by shooting that claimed two lives in 2006.

Kendrick Simpson, convicted of a 2006 drive-by shooting in Oklahoma City, was executed on Thursday, becoming the first execution in Oklahoma this year. Despite admitting guilt and expressing remorse, his clemency was denied, leading to his execution by a three-drug injection. Simpson's attorneys argued that he suffered from PTSD due to a traumatic childhood.

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — Kendrick Simpson, who acknowledged his role in the 2006 drive-by shooting that resulted in the deaths of two young men, was executed Thursday in Oklahoma, marking the state’s first execution of the year.

The execution of Simpson, 45, took place at 10:19 CT following a three-drug injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He was convicted of murdering Anthony Jones, 19, and Glen Palmer, 20, after a nightclub altercation in Oklahoma City.

Simpson fled to Oklahoma City from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and later admitted to the killings during a clemency hearing. He expressed remorse to the victims' families, stating, I apologize for murdering your sons... they didn’t deserve what happened to them.

Despite this apology, the Pardon and Parole Board voted against granting him clemency. The U.S. Supreme Court also rejected a last-minute appeal to stop the execution.

Simpson’s legal representatives argued that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, resulting from a traumatic upbringing in a challenging environment. They contended, The death penalty is supposed to be reserved for the worst of the worst offenses and offenders. Kendrick and his case represent neither.

On the evening of the incident, prosecutors stated that Simpson, armed with an assault rifle, followed victims Jones and Palmer from a gas station after a dispute, opening fire on their vehicle. Both men were shot multiple times.

Some family members of the victims expressed support for Simpson's execution. Palmer's sister, Crystal Allison, articulated to the board her stance, indicating, He made the choice for him so I stand here today to make the choice for my family. Yes, we would like to see him executed for what he did — he executed my brother.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond also lauded the Board's decision, labeling Simpson as a ruthless and violent killer who hunted his victims without remorse. The execution method employed was a combination of midazolam, vecuronium bromide, and potassium chloride, intended to sedate and stop the heart.

Kendrick Simpson's execution follows that of Ronald Palmer Heath in Florida, who was executed just two days earlier for a killing committed in 1989. Statistics reveal that 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025, with Florida leading the tally. The state is set to conduct the next execution in the country on Tuesday, targeting Melvin Trotter for a robbery-related killing.