OKLAHOMA — The State of Oklahoma executed Kendrick Antonio Simpson by lethal injection at 10:13 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, for the 2006 drive-by shooting deaths of Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones, drawing sharp condemnation from his legal team, death penalty opponents and his spiritual adviser.
Oklahoma executed death row inmate Kendrick Simpson after the state’s Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency. Simpson had been diagnosed with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to advocates.
Simpson’s legal team issued a lengthy statement following his execution.
“Today, February 12, 2026, the State of Oklahoma took the life of Kendrick Simpson,” the statement read. “His manner of death will be recorded as homicide — a stark and undeniable truth. In the name of ‘justice,’ the State chose to extend the cycle of trauma rather than end it, taking the life of a man who had spent years learning how to make other lives better. Kendrick was a loving son, brother, father, grandfather, and friend.”
The legal team said it had known Simpson since February 2011 and described a profound transformation during the 15 years they represented him.
“Kendrick was fiercely loyal to the people he loved. We have known him since February 2011, and the transformation we witnessed in him was extraordinary,” the statement said. “Despite documented proof and the testimony of those who knew him best, that truth was dismissed and replaced with a false and unfounded narrative. It may be convenient to reduce a human being to a monster, but convenience does not make it true.”
On Jan. 14, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for Simpson, allowing his execution to proceed.
News 9 reported that prosecutors told the board Simpson followed his victims from a club and fired approximately 20 rounds from an AK-style rifle into their car.
One of the three victims, London Johnson, survived and addressed the board, describing the trauma he experienced during the shooting.
Allison Crystal’s brothers were killed that night. “My brothers meant the world to me they were the stars of the family, they were the center of our family. Our family has been so broken into pieces since this tragedy happened,” Crystal said, according to News 9.
Simpson addressed the board via live video, expressing remorse and apologizing to the victims’ families and Johnson. He asked for mercy despite saying he did not believe he deserved it.
“I’m not the worst of the worst, I’m not a monster,” Simpson said. “I’m ashamed of my actions. I’m ashamed of the destruction my actions caused. I’m ashamed of being a murderer,” he said, according to News 9.
From the first meeting with his legal team 15 years ago, Simpson expressed remorse, according to his attorneys.
“He never wavered in his desire to reach out to those harmed by his actions to convey his sorrow and concern,” the statement said. “Over the years, he earned his GED and turned to writing as a form of healing. That process revealed a raw gift for poetry and reflection.”
His attorneys said Simpson often sought advice about how to better support his sons and “waited — patiently, and sometimes anxiously — to hear from them, and treasured every call or letter.”
“Despite the trauma he carried, Kendrick developed qualities many people never do: humility, empathy, forgiveness, and openness to the experiences of others,” the statement continued. “He was deeply thoughtful, well-read, and constantly learning. He pushed those around him to think, to grow, and to confront difficult truths. He was insightful, shy, and retained a gentle, childlike sweetness.”
“We are proud to call Kendrick our friend,” the legal team wrote. “Our grief will not fade in the weeks ahead, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him. This execution was a profound and unnecessary loss. We will continue this work in Kendrick’s name, carrying forward the humanity the State chose not to see.”
An excerpt from one of Simpson’s writings, titled “Edification” (2018), was also included in the statement.
“The State of Oklahoma had deemed me a continuing threat to society who can’t be rehabilitated, with no redeemable qualities whatsoever. And certainly, they believe I have no remorse for my victims (nothing could be further from the truth). So awful in fact, I’m even too dangerous to live in the penitentiary with other offenders. Like a rabid dog they claim has bitten one too many people, I must be put down,” Simpson wrote.
“For the jury, prosecutors put the magnifying glass on the worst moments of your life. They employ scare tactics and demonize you to the point of being unrecognizable, even to people who’ve known you your entire life.
“But that’s neither here nor there. I’m sentenced to die; to be executed; a state sanctioned murder. Being murdered for murdering seems like the height of hypocrisy, but since they’re murdering under the banner of justice, there certainly must be a difference.”
— Emma Rolls, Attorney for Kendrick Simpson
The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty also issued a statement following the execution.
In response to what it described as the “needless execution of Kendrick Simpson,” Dr. Elizabeth Overman, chair of OK-CADP, said, “Kendrick Simpson was a man of significant accomplishment once he was freed from the forces driving his PTSD. Kendrick managed to be the first person on death row to obtain a GED, attain honors in his college courses and he was awarded a significant prize for his poetry. Executions are major wrongs.
“People are really upset about this execution. The state needs a permanent injunction against the death penalty.”
Rev. Don Heath, Simpson’s spiritual adviser, also responded.
“Kendrick was a kind, gentle man. The scared youth who shot and killed two people died a long time ago. He is a new man. He didn’t deserve this. No one does. His last words were to say goodbye to his family and friends in attendance. He was sleepy; he was ready to go. He met his death with peace and dignity,” Heath said.
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