Oklahoma death row inmate seeks clemency decades after 1999 Tulsa double murder

More than 25 years after the brutal murders of Mary Bowles and Jerald Thurman, the man convicted in the case is asking the state for mercy.

George John Hanson will appear before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board as he seeks clemency ahead of his scheduled execution.

The case has spanned decades, multiple jurisdictions, and a recent push from Oklahoma’s top prosecutor to see the sentence carried out.

The numbers behind the case

1999: The year of the crime

Seventy-seven-year-old Mary Bowles was kidnapped from a Tulsa shopping mall in 1999. Prosecutors say George Hanson and an accomplice drove her to a remote area near Owasso, where she was shot and killed.

Jerald Max Thurman, who witnessed the crime, was also shot and killed at the scene.

2: Victims killed

Bowles and Thurman were both fatally shot. The killings shocked the Tulsa community and led to a high-profile murder trial.

1: Death sentence handed down

A Tulsa County jury sentenced Hanson to death. His accomplice’s legal fate was not addressed in the clemency hearing.

25+: Years since the crime

Though Hanson was sentenced in Oklahoma, he spent more than two decades in federal custody in Louisiana, serving a life sentence for bank robbery.

1: Recent transfer back to Oklahoma

At the request of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Hanson was returned to Oklahoma earlier this year to face execution.

June 12: Execution date

Unless clemency is granted, Hanson is set to be executed on June 12, 2025. If carried out, it would mark Oklahoma’s second execution of 2025.

Why these numbers matter

The decades-long delay in Hanson's execution has drawn scrutiny, with state officials emphasizing the need for closure. Attorney General Drummond issued a statement ahead of the clemency hearing, calling the delay “far too long” and pledging to see that “justice is done” for the Bowles family.

What comes next?

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is scheduled to hear Hanson’s case on May 7, 2025, at 9 a.m. If clemency is denied, the execution will move forward as planned. News On 6 will provide updates as they become available.