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Oklahoma executes man convicted of double slaying in 2002

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Oklahoma executes man convicted of double slaying in 2002
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Oklahoma executes man convicted of double slaying in 2002

2024-04-05 00:38 Last Updated At:00:50

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — A man convicted of shooting and killing two people in Oklahoma City more than two decades ago was executed Thursday morning.

Michael Dewayne Smith received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was pronounced dead at 10:20 a.m., Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesperson Lance West said.

After the first of three lethal drugs, midazolam, was administered, Smith, 41, appeared to shake briefly and attempt to lift his head from the gurney before relaxing. He then took several short, audible breaths that sounded like snores or gasps. Oklahoma DOC Director Steven Harpe said after the execution that Smith “appeared to have some form of sleep apnea.”

A masked doctor entered the execution chamber at 10:14 a.m. and shook Smith several times before declaring him unconscious.

Smith appeared to stop breathing about a minute later. The doctor reentered the execution chamber at 10:19 a.m. and checked for a pulse before Harpe announced the time of death.

Smith was sentenced to die in the separate shooting deaths of Janet Moore, 41, and Sharath Pulluru, 22, in February 2002. He is the first person executed in Oklahoma this year and the 12th put to death since the state resumed executions in 2021 following a nearly seven-year hiatus resulting from problems with executions in 2014 and 2015.

Given the opportunity to say last words, Smith responded, “Nah, I’m good.”

Moore's son Phillip Zachary Jr. and niece Morgan Miller-Perkins witnessed the execution from behind one-way glass. Attorney General Gentner Drummond read a statement on their behalf that said in part: “Justice has been served.”

Drummond, in his own statement, called Moore “a rock for her family” and said Pulluru “was an inspiration to his family” as the first member to come to the United States for an education.

“Janet and Sharath were murdered simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time; that was all. I am grateful that justice has been served,” Drummond said.

During a clemency hearing last month, Smith expressed his “deepest sorrows” to the victims’ families, but denied he was responsible.

“I didn’t commit these crimes. I didn’t kill these people,” Smith said, occasionally breaking into tears during his 15-minute address to the board, which denied him clemency in a 4-1 vote. “I was high on drugs. I don’t even remember getting arrested.”

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday morning denied a stay of execution requested by Smith’s attorneys, who argued that his confession to police was not sufficiently corroborated.

Prosecutors say Smith was a ruthless gang member who killed both victims in misguided acts of revenge and confessed his involvement in the killings to police and two other people.

They claim he killed Moore because he was looking for her son, who he mistakenly thought had told police about his whereabouts. Later that day, prosecutors say Smith killed Pulluru, a convenience store clerk who Smith believed had disrespected his gang during an interview with a newspaper reporter.

Smith’s attorney, Mark Henricksen, argued that Smith is intellectually disabled, a condition worsened by years of heavy drug use, and that his life should be spared and he should be allowed to spend the rest of it in prison. Henricksen said Smith was in a PCP-induced haze when he confessed to police and that key elements of his confession aren’t supported by facts.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond reads a statement on behalf of murder victim Janet Moore on Thursday, April 4, 2024, while standing between Moore's son, Phillip Zachary, Jr., and niece Morgan Miller-Perkins at the Oklahoma State penitentiary in McAlester, Okla., following the execution of Michael Dewayne Smith. The 41-year-old was sentenced to die for killing Moore and Sharath Pulluru in separate shootings in February 2002. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond reads a statement on behalf of murder victim Janet Moore on Thursday, April 4, 2024, while standing between Moore's son, Phillip Zachary, Jr., and niece Morgan Miller-Perkins at the Oklahoma State penitentiary in McAlester, Okla., following the execution of Michael Dewayne Smith. The 41-year-old was sentenced to die for killing Moore and Sharath Pulluru in separate shootings in February 2002. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)

FILE - This Feb. 5, 2021, file photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Michael Dewayne Smith, who is scheduled to be executed on April 4, 2024. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP, File)

FILE - This Feb. 5, 2021, file photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Michael Dewayne Smith, who is scheduled to be executed on April 4, 2024. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP, File)

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As crews clean up from LA wildfires, some residents are furious over hazardous waste

2025-02-02 14:00 Last Updated At:14:11

DUARTE, Calif. (AP) — Not far from where Ceci Carroll lives, a rock-mining company has polluted the air with dust across the San Gabriel Valley, she said.

Now, as crews clean charred remains from the Los Angeles wildfires, she worries about a new potential source of contamination: a site to process hazardous debris from the Eaton Fire.

“I’m concerned about the community and also the school districts here, where we have children,” said Carroll, a Duarte resident of 23 years and former local school board member.

“We’re dealing with the site with the chemicals and hazardous materials," she said. "Parents are absolutely concerned."

Carroll is among residents from Duarte, Azusa and nearby cities opposing the Environmental Protection Agency's use of Lario Park in Irwindale as a temporary site to separate, package and transport potentially hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire.

In ordinary times, people picnic, bike or ride horses on equestrian trails in the federally owned land. They now worry about dangerous waste that could pollute the air or seep into groundwater.

The blazes that began on Jan. 7 charred thousands of buildings, cars and electronics across the Los Angeles area. The EPA has begun the enormous task of removing potentially hundreds of tons of hazardous materials from the Eaton and Palisades fires. That includes paints, pesticides, solvents, compressed gas cylinders, ammunition and lithium-ion batteries from electric cars that could turn toxic when burned.

“The removal of these materials should not come at the cost of creating a toxic environment for communities already disproportionately impacted by pollution," Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement.

The mostly Latino communities adjacent to the site are exposed to higher levels of ozone and particulate matter pollution than other areas, according to data from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

Experts acknowledge residents' concerns, but say hazardous waste is not necessarily harmful as long as safety measures are in place and the waste is not stored on site for years.

At a town hall Wednesday, California Sen. Susan Rubio and local mayors opposing the site grilled state and federal officials: How was the site chosen? Why weren't we consulted or notified? Why truck toxic waste 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the burn zone and risk contaminating our communities? What testing will be done after it's closed?

Hundreds of residents crammed into the performing arts center and spilled into the hall. They shouted “Shut it down!” and chanted “Leave it in Altadena!”

EPA coordinator Tara Fitzgerald told the audience that sites closer to the Eaton burn zone were being used for emergency fire operations, including the Rose Bowl and the Santa Anita Park in Pasadena. They chose the Lario Park site because it suited their needs and was available.

She emphasized the EPA has done this work for years across the state.

“We did the exact same thing" for the Woolsey, Santa Rosa and Napa fires, Fitzgerald said, and "we did not have any impacts to the community during the entire process."

But the Eaton and Palisades fires are unprecedented. Together, they torched the largest urban area on record in California, according to an Associated Press analysis, and more than double the urban acreage consumed by the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

The EPA said it would regularly monitor air, sample soil, use water trucks to control dust and transport waste out of the area daily.

The agency lines areas with plastic where materials are processed and uses wattles, earthen berms and other items to control spills. The waste will be transported on surface streets, not freeways, so trucks can travel at a slower and safer speed, the EPA’s Celeste McCoy told the county Board of Supervisors. She said the site would likely be used less than six months, and more areas are being considered.

With these protective measures, the risks of groundwater contamination, which takes a long time, are low, said Sanjay Mohanty, a UCLA associate professor who has studied wildfire effects on water and soil.

“There’s several feet of soil that the pollutant has to pass through, and that also requires lots of water to leech from the system,” Mohanty said. "And even if there is leeching, they would not migrate far into the soil in a short time. "

The bigger risks are soil and air pollution from possible dust emissions, he added, but those too can be mitigated.

Duarte resident Laura Jasso did not leave the meeting reassured and remained upset about the lack of transparency from state and federal officials.

“It’s hard to have confidence when they’ve really done this behind our backs," she said.

While crews continue their work, residents should be vigilant to what is happening at the site and ask how materials are being handled, about emergency response plans and truck routes and schedules, said Rachael Jones, professor and director of the UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health.

“The community has the right to know that information from the EPA and the Army Corps,” Jones said.

Jasso said her community is committed to holding the EPA accountable for ensuring safety.

“Ultimately, we don’t want it here, and we’re going to continue to fight to not have it here,” she said of the site. “But the fact is, it’s here right now. And so we have to just acknowledge the safety of our students, the concerns of our families.”

Associated Press writer Christopher Weber contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

Duarte former Councilmember, John Fasana and resident Cici Carroll walk past concrete guard rails set in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, after wildfires. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Duarte former Councilmember, John Fasana and resident Cici Carroll walk past concrete guard rails set in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, after wildfires. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Covered vehicles are seen in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Covered vehicles are seen in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Household trash is seen illegally dumped on the San Gabriel River trail in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, near Lario Park. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Household trash is seen illegally dumped on the San Gabriel River trail in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, near Lario Park. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A Duarte resident walks her dog past a sign of an extreme fire hazard area Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Duarte, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A Duarte resident walks her dog past a sign of an extreme fire hazard area Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Duarte, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Resident Cici Carroll poses for a photo outside the Duarte Historical Museum in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, as she expresses her concerns regarding the proximity of Lario Park, in the vicinity of Irwindale, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as a temporary site for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Resident Cici Carroll poses for a photo outside the Duarte Historical Museum in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, as she expresses her concerns regarding the proximity of Lario Park, in the vicinity of Irwindale, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as a temporary site for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Cici Carroll and her son Jordan Carroll pose for a photo outside their home in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, as they express their concerns regarding the proximity of Lario Park, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as a temporary site for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Cici Carroll and her son Jordan Carroll pose for a photo outside their home in Duarte, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, as they express their concerns regarding the proximity of Lario Park, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as a temporary site for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Eric Canteenwala, center, an Environmental Protection Specialist with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), talks to Azusa residents who are concerned about the use of Lario Park to temporarily process hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Eric Canteenwala, center, an Environmental Protection Specialist with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), talks to Azusa residents who are concerned about the use of Lario Park to temporarily process hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The fenced Lario Park is seen, as it's used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The fenced Lario Park is seen, as it's used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Construction workers set up gravel to prevent ground contamination at the grounds of Lario Park to be used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Construction workers set up gravel to prevent ground contamination at the grounds of Lario Park to be used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

An official guards the fenced Lario Park, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

An official guards the fenced Lario Park, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A large tent is erected at Lario Park, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A large tent is erected at Lario Park, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily for processing hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Air quality monitoring equipment is seen at Lario Park, used temporarily by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to process hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Air quality monitoring equipment is seen at Lario Park, used temporarily by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to process hazardous materials from the Eaton Fire, in Irwindale, Calif., Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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