After the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied Anthony Sanchez’s request to pause his execution, the state of Oklahoma is set to execute Sanchez, a death row inmate convicted of the 1996 murder of Juli Busken, KOCO reports. Busken was a 21-year old student at the University of Oklahoma. The only possible recourse for Sanchez is Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who could step in to stop the lethal injection execution, which will happen at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, according to The Oklahoman. "Devastating," said Sanchez's spiritual advisor, the Rev. Jeff Hood. "This is not something that is normal."
Busken was a ballerina at OU. She was abducted, bound and shot execution-style at Lake Stanley Draper. Sanchez became a suspect eight years later. DNA, a footprint, a bullet and a sketch of the suspect convinced a jury that Sanchez was guilty. Yet, decades later, Sanchez maintains his innocence. "He is more determined than ever to say that he did not do this, that he is innocent, and he is going to proceed into death saying that he is innocent," Hood said. However, Sanchez declined to have a clemency hearing this summer because he thought it wasn’t going to be fair. Sanchez told his spiritual advisor that he wishes the Busken family peace.
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