Oklahoma Execution James Pavatt Stayed Before June 11, 2024

June 27, 2024

James Pavatt was scheduled to be executed at 10 am local time on Thursday, June 11, 2024, inside the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma.  His execution has been stayed, pending a new execution date.  Seventy-year-old James is convicted of murdering Robert Andrew on November 20, 2001, in Oklahoma City.  James has been on Oklahoma’s death row for the last 20 years.

James Pavatt met Robert and Brenda Andrew at the church they attended. Pavatt and Brenda taught a Sunday school class together. Eventually, the two began engaging in a sexual relationship. Around the same time the affair started, Pavatt, a life insurance agent, helped Robert set up a life insurance policy of about $800,000. Brenda was the sole beneficiary of the policy.

In the summer of 2001, Pavatt divorced his wife. Months later, in September 2001, Rob moved out and Brenda began divorce proceedings against Rob. Court testimony reveals that in October 2001, Pavatt confessed to his adult daughter, Janna Larson, that Brenda asked Pavatt to kill her husband. Pavatt later told Janna to never repeat what he told her, threatening to kill her if she did. In late October, it was discovered that the brake lines in Rob’s vehicle were severed. Rob discovered the tampering after receiving a phone call from Brenda alleging that she had a medical emergency and needed him to meet her.

After discovering the damage to his vehicle, Rob called the police. He also sought to have Brenda removed as a beneficiary to his life insurance, which angered Pavatt. Robert contacted Pavatt’s supervisor, which caused Pavatt to begin threatening Robert. Evidence was later uncovered that Pavatt attempted to forge a change of ownership on the policy without Robert’s consent.

On November 20, 2001, Robert arrived at the family home, intending to pick up his children for the holiday weekend. Robert was on the phone with a friend when he arrived. After being let into the garage, Robert ended his call. A short time later, neighbors reported hearing gunshots and Brenda called the police saying her husband had been shot. Emergency personnel arrived and found Robert deceased. He had been shot and suffered extensive blood loss. Brenda also received a gunshot injury, although it was minor. It was also discovered that the children were not prepared to leave the house with the father, instead, they were in a room watching television with the volume turned up very loud.

Brenda was taken to the hospital for treatment, where observers noted that she did not behave like a woman who just saw her husband shot and killed. She was also observed being “giddy” with Pavatt. Brenda told police that two armed men in masks broke into the home and shot her and Robert.

An investigation revealed that Robert had been killed with an unusual 16-gauge shotgun. Robert was known to have owned one, however, he complained to several friends that Brenda refused to let him take it when he moved out. A search of the house revealed that the gun was missing. It was never recovered, but several shotgun shells were found at the scene. Brenda was shot .22 caliber bullet. Pavatt had punched a .22 caliber handgun shortly before the murder. That gun was also never recovered.

In the days that followed the murder, Pavatt began looking at moving to Argentina, believing they had no extradition agreement with the United States. He also made his daughter Janna a signatory on his checking account. Brenda also sought to transfer money from her account to Janna’s so that Janna could wire her money. Brenda and Pavatt also sought Janna’s help in forging a document, with Robert’s forged signature, that would allow Brenda to leave the country with her children. On the day of Robert’s funeral, Pavatt and Brenda did not attend and instead traveled to Mexico with the children.

While in Mexico, they asked Janna to send them money several times. Janna worked with the FBI and local authorities in an attempt to track down Pavatt and Brenda. Eventually, by February 2002, the couple ran out of money and attempted to re-enter the United States via the Mexican border. They were immediately arrested, as they had been charged with first-degree murder nine days after Robert’s death. Brenda and Pavatt received separate trials, however, they were both convicted and sentenced to death.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has requested that several of the upcoming scheduled executions in the state be rescheduled to allow more time between them. Oklahoma’s Department of Corrections is currently understaffed and preparing for an execution is time intensive. Drummond’s request was granted by the courts. Several executions have been rescheduled, however many, including James Pavatt have not yet received their new execution dates.

Pray for peace for the family of Robert Andrew. Pray for strength for the family of James Pavatt. Please pray that if James is innocent, lacks the competency to be executed, or should not be executed for any other reason, that evidence will be provided before his execution. Pray that James may come to find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.