According to court documents, an Oklahoma man was released early as part of a mass-commutation effort . He then admitted to the murder of a 4-year-old girl, his uncle, and a woman whose heart and she cooked.
According to court papers, Lawrence Paul Anderson (44), admitted to fatally stabbing Andrea Lynn Blankenship and Leon Pye (67), along with Kaeos Yates (4-year-old nephew) “on or around” February 9, 2021 in Chickasha Oklahoma. Anderson was released from prison early in January 2021.
Anderson also admitted to stabbing his aunt Delsie Pye and ripping one of her eyes out.
Authorities claim that Anderson took Blankenship’s heart to his aunt, where he cooked it with potatoes, and then tried to kill his uncle and aunt, inflicting severe injuries on his niece and killing their granddaughter.
Anderson pleaded guilty to three counts each of murder in first degree, assault and battery using a deadly weapon, and maiming. This reduced his death sentence to five life sentences, three with no parole.
Anderson’s lawyer did not respond immediately to our requests for comment.
According to the Oklahoman, Anderson was sentenced in 2017 for violating probation in a drug case. Republican Governor. Kevin Stitt reduced Anderson’s sentence to nine years last year. Anderson was freed after serving just over three years.
Jason Hicks, Grady County District Attorney, criticized the criminal justice reform which led to the commutations for hundreds of Oklahoma inmates.
Hicks stated, “It’s time we did better.” “If we have one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, that’s OK. But we can be open with our citizens and tell them they are safe. I cannot tell my constituents in my district that they are safe today.
Contributed by The Associated Press
