The Oklahoman (Opinion): Why I, relative of a murder victim, think Stitt should grant Tremane Wood clemency
Regan Bowlby
Why I, relative of a murder victim, think Stitt should grant Tremane Wood clemency
Christy Sheppard, November 10, 2025
The state of Oklahoma once again finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to fairness and justice. On Thursday, Nov. 13, Tremane Wood is scheduled to be executed. Although Tremane’s brother, Jake, admittedly took the life of Ronnie Wipf, Jake received life without parole while Tremane was sentenced to death.
How does this happen that the actual murderer receives a lesser sentence than a co-defendant?
These are the types of issues I began to question after the two men convicted of murdering my cousin Debbie were found innocent. When I first read the opinion handed down by U.S. District Judge Frank Seay overturning their convictions, it was like the air had been taken out of my lungs. He wrote, “God help us, if ever in this great country we turn our heads while people who have not had a fair trial are executed.” Now, that quote lives in the forefront of my mind.
For the last 20 years, I have worked for justice reform to honor Debbie’s legacy. I have learned blind justice has to be fought for, and injustice must be challenged. I’ve learned that surviving family members live a complex and layered existence, their pain not resolved by the procedural endeavors of the court. And as I witnessed over 40 years of my aunt longing to understand “the why,” I learned no amount of years behind bars or the empty promise of a death sentence can bring closure. I’ve learned that the balance of fairness falls short when it comes to the defense of some, and that some victims’ family members see a different path for justice than the one assumed for them.
To claim fairness in the prosecution of Tremane Wood is a miscarriage of justice itself. Tremane was represented by an attorney who admittedly abused illegal substances during the time of the trial. The courts have thrown out the death sentences of two other people represented by the same attorney for his conduct, in addition to his losing his law license for a time. In recent court hearings, it has been revealed there were witness testimony deals never disclosed and emails between presiding judges and prosecutors regarding this case. None of these actions falls under the principles of fairness when it comes to equal justice and an impartial judiciary.
Oklahoma death row inmate Tremane Wood is sworn in before providing testimony during his clemency hearing with the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
It cannot be considered fair that surviving family members of murder victims who support a death sentence are celebrated while those who oppose execution are villainized.
The surviving victim of this case does not support the execution of Tremane Wood.
The mother of the murder victim, Ronnie Wipf, does not support the execution of Tremane Wood.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has recommended clemency for Tremane Wood.
Tremane Wood does not deserve to be executed. As Oklahomans we must demand better for justice to be carried out in our name.
I urge Gov. Kevin Stitt to follow the board’s recommendation and honor the victims’ wishes and commute Tremane Wood’s death sentence to life without parole.
Christy Sheppard served on the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission that issued a report in 2017 detailing recommended reforms to Oklahoma’s death penalty system. Her cousin, Debbie Sue Carter, was murdered in 1988; two men were wrongfully convicted of the murder and later exonerated with the help of DNA evidence.