JUST IN: Oklahoma Has Executed Kendrick Antonio Simpson by Lethal Injection- dna

The long, turbulent journey of Kendrick Antonio Simpson reached its definitive end at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. After spending nineteen years on death row, the 45-year-old New Orleans native was executed via lethal injection. For the families of the victims, it was a day delayed by nearly two decades of legal appeals and agonizing waiting. For Simpson, it was the final stop in a life story that was deeply entangled with systemic trauma, sudden escalation, and a horrific burst of violence that shattered multiple lives on a cold January night.

A Childhood Forged in Violence and Survival

To understand the trajectory that brought Kendrick Antonio Simpson to the execution chamber, one must look back to his roots in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana. Born in 1980, Simpson grew up in an environment notorious for deep-seated poverty, structural neglect, and rampant street crime. Immersed in this survival-driven world from an early age, he quickly found himself caught up in the justice system. At just 16 years old, Simpson participated in a violent home invasion robbery during which he shot a store owner at point-blank range. Though the victim miraculously survived, the incident set a dangerous precedent for how Simpson navigated conflict.

The year 2004 brought a series of near-fatal crises that left deep physical and psychological scars. Simpson became the target of a brutal shooting in New Orleans, sustaining severe gunshot wounds to his head, abdomen, and leg. He fell into a coma and endured sixteen complex surgeries. While he managed to survive, the attack left him with permanent physical disabilities and an intense, consuming sense of paranoia.

Months later, nature dealt another devastating blow. Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, destroying Simpson’s home and leaving him stranded for days without food, clean water, or medical attention. He eventually found temporary refuge at a crowded convention center before being relocated to Oklahoma City as a displaced refugee. He was 27 years old, carrying the heavy baggage of a traumatic past into a completely unfamiliar environment.

The Night a Nightclub Dispute Turned Fatal

Simpson’s fresh start in Oklahoma did not last long. On the evening of January 15, 2006, Simpson went out with two acquaintances, Jonathan Dalton and Latango Robertson. They were riding in Dalton’s white Chevrolet Monte Carlo, planning to spend the night at Fritzi’s, a popular hip-hop nightclub in Northwest Oklahoma City. Before they arrived at the venue, Simpson insisted on stopping by his residence to change clothes. It was during this brief stop that he quietly retrieved an AK-style assault rifle and brought it along.

The trio attended a private party before arriving at Fritzi’s around midnight. As Simpson walked through the crowded venue, he crossed paths with London Johnson, Anthony Jones, and Glenn Palmer. One of the men made a passing comment regarding the Chicago Cubs baseball cap Simpson was wearing—a cap that prosecutors later asserted was associated with a rival street gang.

Feeling disrespected, Simpson returned to his table and told his companions that people were giving him trouble over his clothing. Driven by a volatile mix of paranoia and pride, Simpson confronted the group a second time, explicitly threatening to “chop them”—a well-known street slang term for shooting someone with an assault rifle. Hoping to defuse the rising tension, Glenn Palmer eventually extended his hand to settle the issue. Instead, the interaction boiled over, and Palmer punched Simpson squarely in the mouth, knocking him to the venue floor. Humiliated and furious, Simpson demanded that his friends leave the club immediately.

A High-Speed Execution on the Interstate

The confrontation did not end at the nightclub doors. While in the parking lot, Dalton, Robertson, and Simpson spoke briefly with a group of women who invited them to follow their car to a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store on 23rd Street and Portland. When they arrived, they parked at the rear of the property. Moments later, Glenn Palmer, Anthony Jones, and London Johnson pulled into the same parking lot in Palmer’s Chevrolet Caprice.

Though Dalton explicitly urged Simpson to calm down and let the grudge go, Simpson’s anger had completely taken over. When Palmer’s vehicle pulled out of the parking lot and entered Interstate 44, Simpson ordered Dalton to pursue them. During the high-speed highway chase, Simpson demanded that Robertson pass the assault rifle forward from the backseat.

As Palmer exited the interstate at Pennsylvania Avenue, Dalton pulled his Monte Carlo up into the left lane, matching the speed of the Caprice. Simpson leaned out of the front passenger window and unleashed a devastating barrage of gunfire.

The consequences were immediate and catastrophic. Glenn Palmer, who was driving, was struck four times. While initial rounds grazed his shoulder and hit his back, a final, fatal bullet pierced his chest. Witnesses noted that Palmer remained briefly conscious, expressing terror that the gunmen would return, before his chest filled with blood and his breathing became labored and gurgling. He quickly lost consciousness. Anthony Jones, sitting in the front passenger seat, took multiple direct hits to his head and torso. The medical examiner later testified that Jones’s injuries were entirely non-survivable, causing death within seconds. London Johnson desperately attempted to administer CPR to his dying friends while flagging down a passing motorist for help, but it was too late. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two Decades on Death Row and a Search for Redemption

Following the shooting, the three men fled to a home in Midwest City to hide the weapon and swap vehicles before meeting up with the women from the club. Simpson was arrested by police shortly thereafter. While he admitted to being punched at Fritzi’s, he steadfastly denied executing the victims. However, his accomplices, Dalton and Robertson, chose to cooperate with legal authorities and testified against him during the 2007 trial.

The jury found Simpson guilty on all counts, including two counts of first-degree murder with malice aforethought and one count of shooting with intent to kill. He was subsequently sentenced to death.

Over the course of his nineteen years at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, Simpson’s life took a quieter, more reflective turn. He focused on self-improvement, successfully earning his GED and channeling his thoughts into writing. He went on to publish a book containing poems, essays, and short stories reflecting on his past. During his appeals, he expressed profound remorse, stating, “Whether I live for four more weeks or forty years, they will forever be a part of my testimony. I’m profoundly sorry, and I ask for your mercy.” Despite his expressions of regret, his legal appeals were systematically denied.

The Final Hours

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals set Simpson’s execution date. On his final morning, Simpson awoke early to shower and spend time with his spiritual advisor. He was granted a final visit with his four children and his granddaughter, holding onto those family connections until he was prepared for the execution chamber. For his final meal, he requested a classic comfort menu: a bacon cheeseburger, a large side of onion rings, and a strawberry milkshake.

At 9:30 a.m., Simpson was moved to the execution gurney and restrained. The state utilized its standard three-drug lethal injection protocol consisting of midazolam, vecuronium bromide, and potassium chloride. Observers inside the witness room noted that the execution did not appear entirely seamless. Simpson exhibited visible signs of physical discomfort and distress, making sudden body movements and experiencing heavily irregular breathing during the initial minutes of the drug administration.

He ultimately succumbed to the sedation, losing consciousness before his heart was stopped. Kendrick Antonio Simpson was officially pronounced dead at 10:33 a.m. Among those watching from the witness gallery were several members of Glenn Palmer’s family and Anthony Jones’s sister, Tellyasha Jones, closing a tragic twenty-year chapter born from a momentary nightclub dispute.