“My conscience is clear”: Scott Eizember shares final words as Oklahoma executes inmate over 2003 murder

On Thursday, January 12, 62-year-old Scott Eizember was executed for the murder of an elderly couple 19 years ago. He was executed in Oklahoma by lethal injection and was declared dead at 10.15 am local time on Thursday.

The execution took place after a parole board voted against granting him clemency. According to The Post, the lethal drugs were injected into Scott Eizember via intravenous at 10.01 am on Thursday, and he was declared dead approximately fifteen minutes later.

The convicted killer, who received his last meal at 5.10 pm on Wednesday, told the Associated Press:

"I’m at peace. My conscience is clear, completely. I love my children."

According to media reports, during the execution process, Scott Eizember was seen talking to his spiritual adviser, Reverend Jeffrey Hood. The latter was initially barred from visiting Eizember in the death chamber by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections due to his history of anti-death penalty activism and an arrest. However, this time, he was allowed in after the victims’ families requested it.

The Post also reported that the murderer lifted his head and mouthed, "I love you," towards his daughter and his attorneys.

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Scott Eizember was convicted for the 2003 murders of the Cantrells

19 years ago, Scott Eizember broke into the Cantrells' home to better stalk his former girlfriend, Kathryn Smith, who lived across the street from them. According to prosecutors, Eizember entered the house only after the elderly couple left, but when they returned to the house unexpectedly, he murdered them.

Prosecutors further alleged that Eizember beat 76-year-old A.J. Cantrell to death with a shotgun and then fatally shot his wife, 70-year-old Patsy Cantrell, with the same weapon in October 2003. Following this, the murderer allegedly broke into his former girlfriend's house and shot her son in the back. He also attacked Smith's mother, but both of them survived the attack.

After this, a massive manhunt for Eizember ensued, and he evaded arrest for months. He was taken into custody while on his way to Arkansas by holding a couple hostage and forcing them to drive him there. Fortunately for the pair, the husband kept a gun hidden inside his vehicle and was able to shoot Scott Eizember four times before notifying law enforcement.

In December 2022, Eizember told the parole board:

"I make no excuses. I belong in prison. I’ve said that right from the start, and I apologize profusely to all the victims and when I say all, I mean the entire Creek County community."

Attorney Mark Henricksen had opined that Scott Eizember's execution would be an act of "revenge" as the convicted killer was remorseful during his long stay behind bars. However, family members of the victims have called this a turning point in their lives.

In a statement delivered at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after Scott Eizember's execution, Johnny Melton, the couple’s nephew, said:

"There is no closure today, but a page has been turned and a fresh chapter in our lives has begun. After living this nightmare, I must say that 20 years is too long for justice to be served."

While protecting everyone's rights is certainly a priority, he said that the process took too long and that the past two decades have been "excruciating" and painful for the grieving family members of A.J. Cantrell and Patsy Cantrell.