News Release
11/06/2012
Garry Thomas Allen - 6 p.m. Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester
Name: Garry Thomas Allen
DOB: 02/25/1956
Sex: Male
Age at Date of Crime: 30
Victim(s): Lawanna Gail Titsworth, 24
Date of Crime: 11/21/1986
Date of Sentence: 10/22/1993
Crime Location: NW 8 and Lee Avenue, Oklahoma City
Judge: Richard W. Freeman
Prosecuting: Virginia L. Nettleton and Fern L. Smith
Defending: Robert Mildfelt and Catherine Hammarsten
Circumstances Surrounding Crime:
Allen pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death for the murder of his fiancée, Lawanna Gail Titsworth. Three days after Titsworth left Allen with their two sons, Allen confronted Titsworth outside of the children’s day care and shot her in the chest. He left, and then returned, shooting Titsworth three times in the back. When police found Allen in an alley, Allen fought with an officer, attempting to force the officer to shoot himself with his service weapon. The officer moved the weapon, causing the bullet to strike Allen in the left eye.
On Sept. 26, a federal district court judge rejected Allen’s last minute claim that he could not be executed due to alleged mental incompetence. The court lifted the stay of execution it had previously issued. On Oct. 31, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of the appeal and denied a renewed motion to stay the execution. Allen was previously scheduled for execution on May 19, 2005, Feb. 16, 2012 and April 12, 2012.
Statement from Attorney General Scott Pruitt:
“Garry Allen was sentenced to death for senselessly ending the life of his fiancée and the mother of his two children,” Attorney General Scott Pruitt said. “After numerous lost appeals and delayed justice, my thoughts are with Gail Titsworth’s family, especially her two sons who were left without a mother due to Allen’s actions.”
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