Oklahoma carried out the execution of Phillip Dean Hancock on Thursday, following his conviction for the double homicide of Robert Jett Jr. and James Lynch in Oklahoma City in 2001. Despite Hancock's claims of acting in self-defense, he was administered a three-drug lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and pronounced dead at 11:29 a.m.

Hancock's legal team had filed a request for DNA testing on the physical evidence from the homicide in October, hoping to provide evidence supporting his claim of self-defense. However, the state and court denied the request, leading to his execution. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt also declined to commute his sentence, even after a clemency recommendation from the state's Pardon and Parole Board.

The execution process faced some delays, with the governor's decision to deny clemency being announced after the scheduled start time of 10 a.m. Hancock's legal team had requested a continuance, which was being reviewed by the governor's office. However, at 10:10 a.m., the department was instructed to proceed with the execution, and Hancock was moved to the execution chamber.

During his final moments on the gurney inside the execution chamber, Hancock expressed gratitude towards his legal team and reiterated his belief that the killings were an act of self-defense. He also stated his hope for exoneration posthumously.

Hancock took the opportunity to criticize the Attorney General's office, specifically targeting Gentner Drummond, who oversaw Hancock's post-conviction prosecution. Drummond, who was present as a witness during the execution, showed no visible reaction.

In response to the execution, Drummond's office released a statement expressing satisfaction that justice had been served for the murders of Robert Jett and James Lynch. The statement also extended condolences to the families of the victims.

Throughout the legal process, Hancock's attorneys argued that Jett and Lynch were members of outlaw motorcycle gangs and that Jett had lured Hancock, who was unarmed, to his home. They presented a female witness who testified that Jett had ordered Hancock into a cage and had attacked him with a metal bar. According to Hancock's lawyers, he managed to take control of Jett's pistol and used it to defend himself against the attack.

However, attorneys for the state countered these claims, highlighting inconsistencies in Hancock's accounts of the incident and discrepancies between his testimony and the physical evidence. They specifically referred to a witness who stated that after shooting Jett inside the house, Hancock followed him into the backyard and shot him again after Jett pleaded that he was going to die.

Hancock's execution marks the fourth in Oklahoma this year and the 11th since the state resumed executions in October 2021, following a hiatus caused by issues with lethal injections in previous years. The next execution scheduled in the state is that of James Ryder on February 1, which is related to the killing of Daisy Hallum and her son, Sam Hallum, in 1999 in Pittsburg County.

This latest execution has reignited the ongoing debate regarding the death penalty and the role of self-defense claims in capital punishment cases. As the state moves forward with its execution schedule, the families of the victims continue to seek closure, while advocates for abolition argue for greater examination of evidence and transparency in the legal process.