Scott Eizember Wiki, Biography
On Thursday, January 12, Scott Eizember, 62, was executed for the murder of an elderly couple 19 years ago. He was executed in Oklahoma by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m. local time Thursday.
The execution took place after a parole board voted against granting him clemency. According to The Post, the lethal drugs were injected into Scott Eizember intravenously at 10:01 a.m. Thursday, and he was pronounced dead approximately fifteen minutes later.
The convicted murderer, who received his last meal from him at 5:10 p.m. m. Wednesday, he told the Associated Press:
“I am at peace. My conscience is clear, completely. I love my children.”
According to press reports, during the execution process, Scott Eizember was seen speaking with his spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeffrey Hood. The latter was initially barred from visiting Eizember in the execution chamber by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections due to his history of anti-death penalty activism and one arrest. However, this time he was allowed to enter after the relatives of the victims requested it.
The Post also reported that the killer raised his head and mouthed “I love you” to his daughter and his lawyers.
Scott Eizember was convicted of the 2003 Cantrell murders
19 years ago, Scott Eizember broke into the Cantrell home to better stalk his ex-girlfriend, Kathryn Smith, who lived across the street from them. According to prosecutors, Eizember entered the house only after the elderly couple had left, but when they returned to the house unexpectedly, he murdered them.
Prosecutors further alleged that Eizember struck A.J. 76 years old. Cantrell to death with a shotgun and then fatally shot his wife, Patsy Cantrell, 70, with the same weapon in October 2003. Following this, the killer allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home and shot her his son from behind. He also attacked Smith’s mother, but they both survived the attack.
Following this, a massive manhunt for Eizember ensued, and he evaded arrest for months. He was arrested while on his way to Arkansas taking a couple hostage and forcing them to take him there. Fortunately for the couple, the husband kept a gun hidden inside his vehicle and was able to shoot Scott Eizember four times before notifying police.
In December 2022, Eizember told the parole board:
“I don’t make excuses. I belong in the prison. I’ve said that from the beginning, and I deeply apologize to all the victims and when I say all, I mean the entire Creek County community.”
Lawyer Mark Henricksen had opined that the execution of Scott Eizember would be an act of “revenge” as the convicted murderer was remorseful during his long stay behind bars. However, relatives of the victims have called it a turning point in their lives.
In a statement delivered at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after Scott Eizember’s execution, Johnny Melton, the couple’s nephew, said:
“Today there is no closure, but a page has been turned and a new chapter in our lives has begun. After living through this nightmare, I must say that 20 years is too long for justice to be done.”
While protecting everyone’s rights is certainly a priority, he said the process took too long and the last two decades have been “excruciating” and painful for the grieving family members of A.J. Cantrell and Patsy Cantrell.
