11 March 2021 :
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-1 Monday to advance Julius Jones’ commutation request to a Stage 2 Review, a more comprehensive hearing where new testimony and evidence may be introduced.
Jones, 40, was convicted in 2001 of murdering businessman Paul Howell outside his home. His co-defendant, Christopher Jordan, testified against him at trial and received a reduced sentence, while an Oklahoma County jury sentenced Jones to death.
Advocates for Jones say new evidence points to his innocence and will lead to his exoneration. Last Friday, his attorneys sent the Pardon and Parole Board a sworn statement from an Arkansas inmate who says Jordan confessed to the murder and admitted to framing Jones.
Claiming there is sufficient evidence to support his 1st-degree murder conviction, Attorney General Mike Hunter and Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater have urged the Pardon and Parole Board to reject Jones’ commutation request. The Stage 2 Review Rake will take place sometime later this year.
