Oklahoma Executes Man Who Claimed Self-Defense in Double Killing

Oklahoma executed Phillip Dean Hancock, who claimed self-defense in a 2001 double killing. Despite a clemency recommendation from the state's Pardon and Parole Board, Republican Governor Kevin Stitt declined to commute Hancock's sentence. Hancock maintained his innocence until his execution, criticizing the Attorney General's office and expressing hope for exoneration. His attorneys argued that the victims were members of outlaw motorcycle gangs who attacked Hancock, while the state argued that his testimony did not align with physical evidence. Hancock is the fourth Oklahoma inmate to be executed this year, and the next execution is scheduled for February 1.