Current:Home > MyOklahoma executes Anthony Sanchez for killing of college dance student Juli Busken in 1996-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Oklahoma executes Anthony Sanchez for killing of college dance student Juli Busken in 1996
View Date:2024-12-23 21:02:48
Oklahoma executed Anthony Sanchez on Thursday for the 1996 killing of Juli Busken, a University of Oklahoma dance student, the state's attorney general announced. Sanchez, 44, was convicted of raping and murdering Busken in 2006 after his DNA was matched to the slaying while he was serving a burglary sentence.
Sanchez was executed by lethal injection, which the state resumed using after a six-year moratorium. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m. CDT, according to the Associated Press. State Attorney General Gentner Drummond was among those who attended the execution.
"Justice was served today for Juli Busken nearly 27 years after her life tragically was taken," Drummond said in a statement. "My hope is that today can bring some measure of peace to her family and friends."
Even though Sanchez long said he didn't kill Busken, he didn't seek clemency from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, telling the Associated Press "it doesn't go well for the inmates" no matter what the governor's Pardon and Parole board decides, citing two cases where the board voted in favor of clemency applications that were ultimately denied by Stitt. Sanchez did ask Stitt for a 60-day reprieve so his new attorneys could review his case, according to The Oklahoman newspaper.
Sanchez used his last words to claim his innocence, according to the AP. "I didn't kill nobody," he said in the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He also criticized attorneys who had represented him in the past on the case and thanked his supporters.
Sanchez's attorneys also sought a stay of execution in federal court to have more time to go through evidence from the case. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the request before Thursday's execution.
Earlier this year, Sanchez accused his late father of killing Busken, citing an alleged confession revealed by an ex-girlfriend of Sanchez's dad, Thomas Glen Sanchez.
"Once he said he ... enjoyed watching her die," Charlotte Beattie wrote in a sworn statement, according to the Oklahoman. "Glen said that he regretted Anthony was on death row for something Glen did. But he said that Anthony was tough and could deal with being locked up, whereas Glen wasn't strong enough to adapt to being incarcerated."
The state's attorney general said as recently as last month that there was "no conceivable doubt" that the younger Sanchez killed Busken and the DNA recovered from the killing belonged to him.
- In:
- Oklahoma
- Death Penalty
- execution
Alex Sundby is a senior editor for CBSNews.com
TwitterveryGood! (152)
Related
- Amazon Black Friday 2024 sales event will start Nov. 21: See some of the deals
- Chikungunya virus surges in South America. But a new discovery could help outfox it
- Get in the Halloween Spirit With the Return of BaubleBar’s Iconic Jewelry Collection
- Justice Department seeks 33 years in prison for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan. 6 case
- Bowl projections: SEC teams joins College Football Playoff field
- Lolita the orca dies at Miami Seaquarium after half-century in captivity
- Olympic champ Tori Bowie’s mental health struggles were no secret inside track’s tight-knit family
- No death penalty for a Utah mom accused of killing her husband, then writing a kid book about death
- Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
- ‘Blue Beetle’ actors may be sidelined by the strike, but their director is keeping focus on them
Ranking
- As US Catholic bishops meet, Trump looms over their work on abortion and immigration
- Has California ever had a hurricane? One expert says tropical storm threat from Hilary is nearly unprecedented
- 'Motivated by insatiable greed': Miami real estate agent who used PPP funds on Bentley sentenced
- Military veteran says he soiled himself after Dallas police refused to help him gain restroom entry
- Shocked South Carolina woman walks into bathroom only to find python behind toilet
- 3 strategies Maui can adopt from other states to help prevent dangerous wildfires
- Revamp Your Beauty Routine With These Tips From Southern Charm Star Madison LeCroy
- Nearly 4,000 pages show new detail of Ken Paxton’s alleged misdeeds ahead of Texas impeachment trial
Recommendation
-
Rare Alo Yoga Flash Sale: Don’t Miss 60% Off Deals With Styles as Low as $5
-
MLB reschedules Padres, Angels, Dodgers games because of Hurricane Hilary forecast
-
'As false as false can be': Trader Joe's executives say no to self-checkout in stores
-
Maryland reports locally acquired malaria case for first time in more than 40 years
-
Appeals Court Affirms Conviction of Everglades Scientist Accused of Stealing ‘Trade Secrets’
-
MLB reschedules Padres, Angels, Dodgers games because of Hurricane Hilary forecast
-
Rosalynn Carter marks 96th birthday at home with the former president, butterflies and ice cream
-
Daughter says NYC shark bite victim has had 5 surgeries and has been left with permanent disability