Anthony Sanchez, the man found guilty of the 1996 rape and murder of University of Oklahoma dance student Juli Busken, was executed on Thursday morning.
The 44-year-old was declared dead at 10:19 a.m. CT at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, following the administration of a three-drug lethal injection. Sanchez had earlier this year declined an opportunity for a clemency hearing.
As he was secured to the execution gurney, Sanchez maintained his innocence, stating, "Im innocent. I didnt kill nobody." The brutal murder of 21-year-old Busken, an Arkansas native who had just finished her final semester, remained a mystery for years. She was kidnapped from the parking lot of her Norman apartment complex on December 20, 1996. The case was eventually solved when DNA from the crime scene was matched to Sanchez, who was then serving a prison sentence for burglary.
Sanchez's legal representative, Eric Allen, based in Columbus, Ohio, sought a stay of execution in federal court, arguing that he required more time to examine boxes of evidence related to the case. However, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the request on Thursday.
Busken's remains were discovered near a lake in southeast Oklahoma City. She had been bound, sexually assaulted, and shot in the head. During her time at the University of Oklahoma, Busken had participated in numerous dance performances as a ballerina. In her memory, a dance scholarship was established in her name at the university's College of Fine Arts.
Sanchez was convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 after DNA from semen found on Busken's clothing at the crime scene was matched to him. He has consistently claimed his innocence, even during a phone call to The Associated Press from death row earlier this year, where he stated, "That is fabricated DNA. That is false DNA. That is not my DNA. I've been saying that since day one."
According to a reporter from local news outlet KOKH, citing information from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Sanchez requested a last meal that included chicken fried steak, fried okra, mashed potatoes with gravy, a roll, sweet iced tea, and apple pie served with vanilla ice cream.
While no members of Busken's family were present at the execution, state Attorney General Gentner Drummond confirmed that he had communicated with them several times in the months leading up to the execution. He stated, "Juli was murdered 26 years, nine months and one day ago. The family has found closure and peace."
Login