A prisoner who narrowly escaped execution on death row was rushed for medical treatment after being found unresponsive in his cell. Tremane Wood, 46, had his death sentence commuted to life without parole by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt just before his scheduled execution. However, Wood collapsed in his cell shortly after the reprieve was granted due to a medical emergency believed to be caused by dehydration and stress.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Kay Thompson stated that Wood had appeared stable after meeting with his legal team following the commutation but later experienced the medical emergency. The prisoner was reported to be in a “stable and alert” condition by Thursday evening.
In a recorded interview from the hospital, Wood mentioned losing consciousness while alone in his cell, waking up in the infirmary with injuries to his head and lip. He denied self-harm, attributing his condition to dehydration and lack of food intake.
Wood, who had been awaiting execution in a holding cell adjacent to the death chamber, learned of his reprieve after the victim’s family supported clemency. Convicted of fatally stabbing Ronnie Wipf during a robbery in 2002, Wood maintained his innocence, claiming his brother, who later died in prison, was the actual perpetrator.
Governor Stitt justified the commutation as a punishment equivalent to what Wood’s brother received, ensuring that Wood would never be eligible for commutation, parole, or a pardon. The decision was supported by Wood’s attorney and some Republican lawmakers, despite opposition from the state’s Attorney General.
Wood’s medical emergency coincided with another execution in South Carolina, where mass killer Stephen Bryant was put to death by firing squad. Bryant, who committed multiple murders in 2004, unsuccessfully pleaded brain damage as a mitigating factor for his crimes.