Convicted murderer Gilbert Ray Postelle has been executed by lethal injection after his request to be put to death by firing squad was denied.
On Thursday, February 17, Postelle was put to death at 10.06am by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
He was convicted of killing James Alderson, Terry Smith, Donnie Swindle and Amy Wright in 2005.
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District Judge Stephen Friot denied Postelle's request for death by firing squad, as while Oklahoma does allow for the use of alternative modes of execution, it does not currently have any protocols in place for any methods other than lethal injection.
His last meal was reportedly 20 chicken nuggets, fries, a crispy chicken sandwich and a caramel frappe.
Postelle's execution is the fourth in Oklahoma since October 2021.
He was sentenced to death for the murders of the four people when he was 19 years old, who he killed at the request of his father, Earl, who mistakenly believed Swindle to be responsible for a motorcycle accident that left him severely injured.
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During the assault, around 60 rounds of ammunition were reportedly fired from assault rifles at a mobile home where Swindle was living.
All four victims were at the mobile home when they were killed.
Postelle, his older brother David, and another man, Randal Wade Byus, were convicted.
David was sentenced to life in prison without parole for his actions, while Byus cooperated with authorities and received a six-year prison sentence.
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During his hearing, Postelle said that he had been a methamphetamine addict since the age of 13, as per the Daily Mail.
He said, 'My life at that time was filled with chaos and drugs,' and that 'it was a family addiction'.
Postelle then added, 'In no way does that excuse my actions,' and said he did 'regret the pain and the loss that I have caused'.
'I do understand that I’m guilty and I accept that. There’s nothing more that I know to say to you all than I am truly sorry for what I’ve done to all these families.'
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Postelle's lawyer, Robert Nance, was also reported as having told the Pardon and Parole Board about his client's upbringing, as per the Mirror.
Nance said that Postelle was 'a different man than he was. I think he needs a certain amount of forgiveness because he grew up in an environment that was almost exclusively negative'.
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Topics: no-article-matching, US News, Crime
