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Woman who survived shooting speaks out after death row inmate used final words to share message to victims

Home> News> Crime

Published 16:39 21 Mar 2025 GMT

Woman who survived shooting speaks out after death row inmate used final words to share message to victims

Amber Dawn Matthews had been helping Dreu Kopf pack for a move when she was killed by Wendell Arden Grissom

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/KOCO 5 News

Topics: Crime, US News

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.

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A woman who survived a home invasion and shooting that killed her friend has shared her thoughts on the last words of the killer before he was executed in Oklahoma.

Amber Dawn Matthews was just 23 years old when she lost her life in 2005 at the hands of Wendell Arden Grissom, who forced his way into the home of her friend Dreu Kopf because, according to what he later told police, he 'needed money'.

Grissom proceeded to injure Kopf with multiple gunshots, then tracked down Matthews as she tried to protect Kopf's two young daughters. Matthews was tragically shot twice and died, with Kopf later saying she 'saved [her] kids'.

Wendell Grissom carried out the killing in 2005 (Oklahoma Department of Corrections)
Wendell Grissom carried out the killing in 2005 (Oklahoma Department of Corrections)

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After being arrested and sentenced to death, Grissom faced the lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary yesterday morning (March 20), with Kopf and her daughters in attendance.

When asked if he had any last words, he said: "I apologize to all of you that I've hurt. I regret so much that I've put that hatred in your heart for me."

Grissom said he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when the killing took place, but continued: "It's still my fault. I'm not who I made myself look like that one day."

The convicted killer said he didn't deserve forgiveness, but expressed hope 'you all can forgive me', if not for his sake, then for their own.

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"It is the only way you will find God in this," he said.

Following Grissom's execution, Kopf appeared alongside her daughters in front of reporters and was asked how she felt about his last words.

Kopf made clear there was nothing that would bring back her friend (YouTube/KOCO 5 News)
Kopf made clear there was nothing that would bring back her friend (YouTube/KOCO 5 News)

She responded: "I feel like it was sincere but it's too late. It took him a total of 13 minutes to die. It took him a total of two minutes to kill my best friend."

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Kopf went on to share details about the injuries she'd received at the hands of Grissom, describing how she received eight bullet holes in the attack.

"There's still bullets in me," she said.

When asked if she felt Grissom's death brought justice, Kopf continued: "I think a piece of justice, but I don't think justice is ever fully served because Amber's not ever gonna be here again."

Grissom's execution marked the first death penalty carried out in Oklahoma this year, and came after he told witnesses at the execution that he considered the death penalty 'a mercy'.

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"It's going to be all right," he said.

  • Death row inmate used final words to share message to surviving victims
  • Death row inmate used final words to share message to victim's family before being executed by lethal injection
  • Last words of death row inmate who raped and murdered 9-year-old girl that he lived with for months
  • Death Row inmate executed in method 'compared to torture' with only two others killed in the same way

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