Execution's Irony

Robert Allen Brecheen wasn’t much of a thinker. At least it didn’t’ appear to be his strong suit when planning out important life events, including robbery. But I’m rushing to judgement, Friends! Forgive me, I’m ahead of myself.

Robert had been dating a young girl at the clothing store the Stubbs owned in Oklahoma City. Sometimes he cashed his checks at the store. Stubbs was more of a department store. They were doing well for themselves at the time.

What do you think you get when you work hard? Well in the 1980s it was to achieve something, and the Stubbs were part of the American Dream. That dream became a nightmare one night in March of 1983.

Robert and his girlfriend were planning on getting married. During the trial, the prosecution tried to express this as one of the motives for the attempted robbery. The District Attorney tried to describe a scenario to the jury of a contract between Robert Brecheen and Sherry McComber they had entered into together in Ada to purchase wedding rings.

Sherry worked for the western clothing store the Stubbs owned in Oklahoma City. She knew where the Stubbs lived, they treated the employees like they were family. Something that seemed to be an effect started in the 1980s but was not usually adhered to either.

It wasn’t suggested that she was actually in on robbing the couple. More like the bobble head. Only that she was the precipitating reason for the robbery. You can’t spell fiancée without the word finance. Somehow these kinds of crimes involve a woman back in the 80s. How very cliché.

The evening of March 27th, 1983, was a warm spring evening. Marie Stubbs was in the living room. She was getting ready for bed. She’d just finished watching television. She was checking on her small dog. At the time, her husband, Hilton Stubbs, wasn’t aware she had not gotten into bed. Not until he heard her scream.

From his bed, Hilton watched the love of his life gone in an instant. Robert’s rifle fired shooting Marie in the Left temple. She crumbled to the floor.

Hilton rolled out of bed. This was just in time to be missed by two bullets being fired into the bed of Hilton and Marie. The bullets shot through where Hilton’s head had been laying on the pillow only moments before his wife died.

Hilton managed to get his gun and fired two shots off at Robert. Robert was moving away from Hilton, toward the door to get away. The bullet struck Robert in the shoulder. He turned, still pumping adrenaline, and fired at Hilton again. Robert missed Hilton and went out the door and head north up the road.

The police arrived quickly. Marie was already gone. Hilton described the silhouette and the interaction. Hilton was not able to see Robert clearly. However, Robert didn’t get far.

The police followed a blood trail north about 200 11yards from the home of the Stubbs. The found Robert Brecheen laying on the road by his truck. There was blood in the truck bed, blood on the ground, and all over the suspect. Folks, there was pretty much a blood bath if someone decided to cut open a hundred blood bags and take a mass shower beneath them. I exaggerate, but, Friends, he was alive and very bloody.

No one felt sorry for him as they loaded him and took him to the hospital. Friends, during his in and out stages of consciousness, made statements that were very important. These statements were also incriminating in nature. “I did it,” was practically coming out of his mouth, my Friends.

Ok, my darling Friends, from here its only worse. The trial was the biggest event in Carter County. Because it was in the news, the defense tried to get a change of venue. That didn’t happen.

The trial, oh my dear Friends, what a fiasco! During the trial, the prosecution made statements about the defense like, “Chaos and Anarchy.” That makes for very influential minds on some very impressionable people. It was the 1980s.

The appellate court Judge Parks admonished the prosecutions for using such improper and unnecessary language. He further stated the case Cobbs v state of Oklahoma and Henderson v. the state of Oklahoma. Both address the following for Judge Parks “…First, improper appeals to societal alarm asserting that, unless the appellant was punished, the community, county, and state would be threatened with “chaos and anarch” clearly improper and unnecessary.”

Judge Parks addressing of this matter showed that there was some thought as to the show boating, perry mason reveals not wanted in the court system. There are a set of rules and an order set up to protect all parties involved. Using this kind of language is dangerous and words matter.

Judge Parks wasn’t finished, “Second, the prosecutor improperly asked the jury to punish the appellant “as vengeance for the family that is specifically hurt, vengeance for the community to set an example …”

The prosecution risked this kind of language during the closing arguments. I think Friends, the prosecution, had been watching too much television. The prosecution really needed a reminder in ethics class. If it were not for the strong evidence this would surely have overturned for a new trial?

The evidence of statements made under an impaired state was admitted with corroborating testimony from the guards in his hospital room. Robert took the stand in rebuttal of those statements. He admitted to it, Folks! The Jury cannot unhear that kind of testimony, actually you cannot unhear any testimony. What a silly notion? I admit some of the rules of the System are downright stupid.

For his crimes, Robert Brecheen received the death Penalty. While on death row he became the equivalent of a trustee. This was running errands, helping to distribute food, and being helpful to the guards. Now, I realize it helped his relationship with the staff of Cell block H. It was enough to make a positive impression upon them. I don’t see it being good for his relationship with those other cell mates on the Block.

The staff he impressed with in such a positive matter all decided to back him for a bid at the chance to save his life. They appeared as support for him before the Oklahoma Pardons and Parole board to beg for Clemency. It’s a Republican state. And it was proven when his clemency was denied. The state has a history.

Here’s where the twist comes. August 12th, 1995, was the final date for another state of Oklahoma execution. But Robert Allen Brecheen was about to try and subvert that with one last try.

Part of the protocol is to put the inmate on suicide watch. It’s a good thing Robert was on suicide watch. He was found overdosed on drugs. The prison rushed him to the hospital, his stomach was pumped, and he lived. Much to the frustration, anger, and sadness of those protesting the death penalty that night, he suffered addition trauma of a second death. Some say that this was cruel punishment. Unfortunately, it was the law for him to still face the execution.

Oklahoma State Statue 29-1822 Mental incompetency of accused after crime commission: effect: death penalty: stay of execution. If a defendant is sentence to death and, after judgement, but before execution of the sentence, such person becomes mentally incompetent execution of the sentence shall be stayed until such disability is removed.

Folks, let’s just boil that last mouth full of words down, If he lived and was able to tell where he was at, who he was, and what crimes he committed, he was about to die. This wasn’t a little thing. It changed how the protocols were handled for suicide watched.

Robert was taken to the chamber aware and awake. He was “thick tongued” the way someone is when they come out from under anesthesia. If you have been to the dentist for a few procedures all at once, it’s like that.

Due to the condition of his inability to speak very loudly and a malfunction in the microphone inside the chamber, no one heard the last words of Robert Allen Brecheen.

Hilton Stubbs told the news that evening he didn’t care what Robert had to say. Hilton wanted to see his justice done. He lost the love of his life, he never remarried. Hilton lost his western wear stored and sold the house he and Marie had lived in together. He moved out 2 years after Marie’s murder. One of their daughters ended up in the mental institution due to her mother’s murder. Hilton didn’t give a damn about those last words or Robert’s comforts.

Robert Allen Brecheen’s life ended on August 12th, 1995, at “Big Mac” in McAlester, Oklahoma. His supporters mourned.

Friends, the idea of bringing a man back after he had taken his own life is the natural order of things. A man on death row takes his own life the day of his execution nearly slipping the hangman’s noose and getting out of this life on his own terms. As you might remember, my dear Friends, the statue doesn’t allow for choice by the inmate. It wouldn’t be punishment, if given the option. Based on the Oklahoma statue. Maybe if it were an approved method of execution, but that seems cruel as well, my darling Friends.

I wonder my dear Friends, what was his plan? Follow me for a few more sentences here. Robert was not wearing a mask the night of the murder. He entered a home that was occupied at night. Robert was prepared for violence a bullet was chamber in the rifle he was using that night. The evidence was the quick way he chose `to react by firing the gun instead of dropping it and running away. The kind of violence he had planned I feel involved much more than just robbing the couple. But I can only speculate based on what was present to the public.

Friends, on this journey did you notice all the monsters in the crowd? I counted a few, didn’t you? Monsters are so well hidden and change to show a different face to save the one person important to themselves, and that is themselves.