Michael Dewayne Smith: Oklahoma double murder convict says ‘I’m good’ before execution by lethal injection
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
CALESTER, OKLAHOMA: A man convicted of fatally shooting two individuals in Oklahoma City over twenty years ago was executed on Thursday morning, April 4.
According to Lance West, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Michael Dewayne Smith received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was declared dead at 10:20 am.
Smith was sentenced to death for separate shooting incidents involving Janet Moore, 41, and Sharath Pulluru, 22, which occurred in February 2002 as per NewsNation.
Michael Smith given lethal injection
Michael Smith, 41, displayed momentary tremors and attempted to raise his head from the gurney before relaxing, following the administration of the first of three lethal drugs, midazolam,
Subsequently, he emitted several short, audible breaths resembling snores or gasps.
Steven Harpe, director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC), noted that Smith "appeared to have some form of sleep apnea" following the execution.
At 10:14 am, a masked doctor entered the execution chamber and shook Smith several times until he was deemed unconscious.
Approximately one minute later, Smith ceased breathing. The doctor returned to the chamber at 10:19 am to check for a pulse, after which Harpe announced the time of death.
Smith is the first individual executed in Oklahoma this year and the 12th since executions resumed in 2021 after a nearly seven-year hiatus due to issues with executions in 2014 and 2015.
When offered the chance to speak his final words, Smith declined, simply stating, "Nah, I’m good."
Victim’s family witnessed the execution of Michael Smith from behind one-way glass
Moore’s son, Phillip Zachary Jr, and niece, Morgan Miller-Perkins, observed the execution from behind one-way glass.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond conveyed a statement on their behalf, stating, “Justice has been served.”
In his own statement, Drummond described Moore as “a rock for her family” and highlighted Pulluru’s significance as “an inspiration to his family,” being the first member to pursue education in the United States.
Drummond remarked, “Janet and Sharath were murdered simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time; that was all. I am grateful that justice has been served,”
During a clemency hearing the previous month, Smith conveyed his “deepest sorrows” to the victims’ families but denied responsibility for the crimes.
Smith asserted, “I didn’t commit these crimes. I didn’t kill these people,” occasionally breaking into tears during his 15-minute address to the board, which denied his clemency plea in a 4-1 vote. “I was high on drugs. I don’t even remember getting arrested.”
Supreme Court declines Michael Smith’s stay of execution
The Supreme Court declined a stay of execution requested by Smith’s attorneys on Thursday morning. They argued that his confession to police lacked sufficient corroboration.
Prosecutors portray Smith as a ruthless gang member who killed both victims in misguided acts of revenge and confessed his involvement in the killings to police and two other individuals.
They allege that he killed Moore in a case of mistaken identity, believing her son had reported his whereabouts to the police.
Later that day, Smith purportedly killed Pulluru, a convenience store clerk he believed had disrespected his gang during an interview with a newspaper reporter.
Smith’s attorney, Mark Henricksen, contended that Smith is intellectually disabled, a condition exacerbated by years of heavy drug use.
He argued that Smith’s life should be spared, advocating for his continued imprisonment.
Henricksen maintained that Smith was in a state of confusion induced by PCP when he confessed to the police and that crucial elements of his confession lacked factual support.
