After 20 years of being on death row, on Thursday, Jan 12, 2023, convicted murder Scott Eizember, age 62, was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, in McAlester, and died at 10:15 a.m. for the 2003 murders of AJ and Patsy Cantrell, of Depew. Eizember was hiding in the Cantrell's home spying on his girlfriend who lived across the street from the Cantrells. When they returned home unexpectedly, AJ Cantrell was beaten to death and Patsy was fatally shot. It was also proven that Eizmember went across the street and beat his ex-girlfriend and shot her son. A massive manhunt took place for the next 37 days. The largest in the history of Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied Eizember clemency in December, 2022. Eizember filed a lawsuit earlier in January after the Oklahoma Department of Corrections denied his request to allow his spiritual advisor to join him in the execution chamber. ODOC officials said the man, Rev. Jeff Hood of Arkansas, had a history of anti-death penalty activism and past arrests. However, ODOC reversed that decision at the request of the Cantrell family.
Eizember is the first death row prisoner executed by Oklahoma in 2023.