Brutal Murderer’s Death Sentence Upheld

Oklahoma’s highest criminal court has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a man who beheaded one woman and injured another in September of 2014.  The Associated Press reports that the court rejected murderer Alton Nolen’s not guilty by reason of insanity claim.  Abby Uhlheiser of the Washington Post reports that of Nolen, an habitual felon who converted to Islam while in prison,  had been suspended from his job at a food processing plant and sought revenge later that day.   That afternoon Nolan entered the company’s administrative office armed with a large serrated knife, and approached 54-year-old Coleen Hufford from behind.  In front of witnesses Nolen beheaded the woman and then attacked another female employee before a company security officer shot Nolen, stopping the attack.

Nolan Clay of the Oklahoman wrote that after Nolen survived his injuries, he told investigators “I just felt oppressed by this woman.  You know all I was doing was….what I was supposed to do as a Muslim.  It’s in the Quran.”

So was this beheading and “error in judgement” by a person who can “learn to abide by the law” as Ashley Nellis of the Sentencing Project characterizes capital murder, or will the country be safer when Alton Nolen finally reaches room temperature.