Last Words

A man named Donald Lee Gilson was executed by the state of Oklahoma on Thursday for the 1995 murder of his girlfriend's eight-year-old son, Shane Coffman. Gilson's girlfriend, Bertha Jean Coffman, was also convicted of the murder; she reached a deal with prosecutors and received a life sentence, rather than death, in return for her testimony against Gilson. Jurors were not informed of the deal.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended that Glison's sentence be commuted to life without parole based on evidence that the victim's mother, not Gilson, was primarily responsible for her son's death. Despite the Board's recommendation, Gov. Brad Henry (D) denied the request for clemency. According to the A.P., Gilson's last words were:

"I'm an innocent man but ... I get to go to heaven and I'll see Shane tonight."