Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has granted clemency to Julius Jones, commuting Jones' death sentence just hours before he was scheduled to be executed for a 1999 murder he says he did not commit, CNN reported. Jones' sentence will be commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to an executive order filed Thursday. Jones was scheduled to be executed at 4 p.m. CT at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Jones and his attorneys found out about the clemency at 12:45 p.m. CT while having their final visit. Jones had been in a holding cell outside the execution chamber for the past two weeks, the attorneys said, and he received his last meal Wednesday evening. They did not provide details on what was in the meal. An enormous sense of relief broke loose when the news arrived that Jones would not be executed, according to the attorneys. The Republican governor came to the decision following "prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case," he said in a statement on Twitter. Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board had recommended Jones' sentence be commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole in a 3-1 vote on November 1. However, in his executive order, Stitt said neither the state constitution nor state law give the board the authority to recommend that commutation, nor do they give the governor the authority to grant it. As a result, the governor was commuting Jones' sentence with the condition that he "shall not be eligible to apply for or be considered for a commutation, pardon, or parole for the remainder of his life," the order says. In her own statement, Jones attorney Amanda Bass called the governor's decision an "important step towards restoring public faith in the criminal justice system by ensuring that Oklahoma does not execute an innocent man." But she acknowledged Jones' family and supporters had hoped he might get parole one day. "While we had hoped the Governor would adopt the Board's recommendation in full by commuting Julius's sentence to life with the possibility of parole in light of the overwhelming evidence of Julius's innocence," Bass said, "we are grateful that the Governor has prevented an irreparable mistake." The 11th-hour decision comes after years of protest over Jones' death sentence. He had been convicted of the 1999 murder of Paul Howell during a carjacking. Jones has been on death row for nearly 20 years, but he, his family, attorneys and supporters say he is innocent. Jones' clemency petition says he's been on death row because of "fundamental breakdowns in the system tasked with deciding" his guilt, including ineffective and inexperienced defense attorneys, racial bias among his jury and alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Howell's family remains convinced of his guilt, reiterating that belief in a statement. "We know Governor Stitt had a difficult decision to make," the family said. "We take comfort that his decision affirmed the guilt of Julius Jones and that he shall not be eligible to apply for, or be considered for, a commutation, pardon or parole for the remainder of his life." "Julius Jones forever changed our lives and the lives of (Paul Howell's) family and friends," the statement said. Jones' case has attracted widespread attention in recent years, in part due to the ABC documentary series "The Last Defense," which spotlighted his case in 2018. And more than 6 million people have signed an online Change.org Justice for Julius petition asking Stitt to intervene and prevent his execution. That support has only ramped up with the impending execution date. Supporters have gathered near the governor's mansion in Oklahoma City over the past few nights, and some even set up tents overnight, CNN affiliate KOCO reported. At a news conference Wednesday evening, Jones' mother described her son's scheduled execution as a lynching. "If you think Julius is guilty, give him a fair trial. Do it over again, do it right!" Davis-Jones said as the crowd erupted in applause. "If my child is executed tomorrow or any day, it should be without a doubt. Not even a little bit of doubt." Reality TV star Kim Kardashian -- who has long advocated against Jones' death sentence -- actors Kerry Washington and Mandy Patinkin, and even professional athletes like Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield have been using their voices in calling for the governor to spare Jones. "It's a shame it's gotten this far," Mayfield told reporters Wednesday as he teared up. Mayfield played football at the University of Oklahoma. "Hopefully, God can intervene and handle it correctly and do the things He needs to do." Support for Jones has also gone international, with a representative from the European Union weighing in via a letter to Stitt. "We respectfully urge you to exercise all powers vested in your office to grant clemency to Mr. Julius Jones," wrote Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU Ambassador to the US. The NAACP and the Oklahoma American Civil Liberties Union released statements praising the governor's decision Thursday. The NAACP said there is much work to be done and is demanding a retrial.
