John Fitzgerald Hanson, a federal inmate, was returned to Oklahoma to face likely execution after President Trump’s executive order restored federal executions. Hanson was originally serving a life sentence for federal crimes but now faces execution in Oklahoma for the murder of Mary Agnes Bowles in 1999. The Oklahoma Attorney General expressed gratitude for this development, as it brings closure to the victim’s family after the Biden administration previously blocked Hanson’s transfer due to a moratorium on federal executions.
Hanson’s attorneys had fought against his transfer to state custody, but ultimately failed to prevent it. The Biden administration’s opposition to the death penalty led to the initial denial of Hanson’s transfer, but Trump’s executive order and subsequent actions by Attorney General Pam Bondi allowed it to proceed. Hanson’s case is part of Oklahoma’s ongoing history with the death penalty, with another scheduled execution lined up for March and recent developments in the Richard Glossip case.
Oklahoma has a high per capita execution rate, with the state having carried out 125 executions since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. The recent execution of Kevin Ray Underwood in December highlights the state’s active use of capital punishment. These developments underscore the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding the death penalty in the United States, with different administrations taking varying stances on its use.
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