Bigler Stouffer Executed on December 9, 2021 in Oklahoma
Bigler Stouffer, Oklahoma
Updated: Thursday, December 9, 2021
Oklahoma executed Bigler Jobe Stouffer, II, on Thursday, December 9, 2021. He was pronounced dead at 10: 16 am, local time, inside the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Bigler was 79 years of age and was executed for murdering Linda Reaves and injuring Doug Ivens on January 24, 1985. Bigler spent the last 36 years of his life on Oklahoma’s death row.
Before his arrest, Bigler worked for the 700 Club as a Christian counselor. Friends and family described Bigler as being good with children.
In January 1985, Doug and Velva Ivens were in the process of getting a divorce and each had started dating other people. Doug was dating elementary schoolteacher Linda Reaves, while Velva was dating Bigler Stouffer.
On January 24, 1985, Stouffer went to visit Doug and Linda was also at Doug’s house. Stouffer asked to borrow a pistol from Doug because there were prowlers or a burglar at Velva’s house. Doug agreed to give Stouffer a gun. Doug retrieved the gun from his bedroom and gave it to Stouffer in a bank bag.
Stouffer took the bag and turned his back on Doug. Then, Stouffer turned back to face Doug, pistol in hand. Stouffer fired two shots at Doug, who fell to the floor. Stouffer then shot Linda twice in the head. He shot once more at Doug before leaving.
Doug managed to crawl to a phone and call the police. Doug told the police that Stouffer had shot him and his girlfriend. Linda died from her injures, while Doug survived.
Stouffer was convicted and sentenced to death in 1986 for Linda’s murder. Stouffer was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for attempting to murder Doug. He received a new trial in 1999 after a court ruled his original lawyers provided an inadequate defense. In 2003, a jury again convicted Stouffer and sentenced him to death for Linda’s murder.
Pray for peace and healing for the family of Linda Reaves and for healing for Doug Ivens. Please pray for strength for the family of Bigler Stouffer.
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