Death row inmate has life spared but then is found unresponsive in his cell

Tremane Wood was hours away from being executed by lethal injection when he was given a reprieve by governor Kevin Stitt – but was later found unconscious in his cell

A death row inmate was given a last-minute reprieve by the state’s governor – but then was found unresponsive in his cell.

Tremane Wood, 46, was found unconscious in his cell during a routine check-up, just hours after his sentence was commuted in a prison in Oklahoma on Thursday (November 13). He had met with his attorneys just after the incident and had seemingly been fine, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections.

A “medical event” was later declared as Tremane was seen to by doctors in the wake of the incident. It has now been confirmed that a combination of dehydration and stress were to blame for his loss of consciousness.

According to the Daily Mail, detainee Wood had told spokesperson Kay Thompson that he had gone for a ‘lie down’ after hearing the life-changing news. His view of events suggested he many have accidentally rolled off his bunk after losing consciousness, needing him to eventually be taken to hospital.

In a recording of the interview taken by Thompson, Wood is reported to have said: “I didn’t have all my senses. I woke up in the infirmary with my head busted and my lip busted, and that’s pretty much it right there.”

Wood insisted that he had not eaten anything since his last meal, which the New York Times reported as being catfish from a local restaurant. This meal had been eaten the ay before as Wood also insisted he did not harm himself during the wait to his potential death.

Tremane would end the interview thanking the Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt for commuting his sentence. Since then, his condition is believed to have improved drastically.

The prisoner had been on death row waiting in a cell right next to the jail’s death chamber on Thursday when he learned the governor had opted to commute his sentence. This meant that instead of facing the death penalty, Wood would now just serve a whole life sentence, without the possibility of parole.

Tremane was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf in a robbery gone wrong back in 2002. However, Tremane has claimed that he was innocent in the case and the actual killer was his brother, who also died after serving a life sentence.

Ronnie’s family also welcomed the decision to commute Tremane’s sentence, giving their blessing to support his clemency. In a statement released upon his decision, Governor Stitt cited their “Christian forgiveness and love” for allowing him to commute Wood’s sentence with no hassle.

“This action reflects the same punishment his brother received for their murder of an innocent young man and ensures a severe punishment that keeps a violent offender off the streets forever,” Governor Stitt explained. However, he insisted that Wood will never be allowed to apply for parole or pardon for the rest of his life.

This is not the first time that Governor Stitt has granted clemency during his time in office. Back in 2021, he gave similar concessions to another death row inmate, but has rejected recommendations in four other instances.

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