Nearly hours away from his execution, Julius Jones death penalty was commuted to life in prison without the chance of parole. The man responsible for commuting his sentence was Oklahoman governor Kevin Stitt. The decision was coming down to the wire, and on the day of his execution, Stitt decided to call off the execution. This decision stemmed from new evidence in the 1999 murder case that landed Mr. Jones in prison. Julius has always pleaded his innocence and claims that he was setup by co-defendant, Christopher Jordan. His family released a statement thanking Governor Stitt for his decision to spare him from execution.