Board reject plea to spare Tulsa killer's life

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma state board has rejected clemency for a death row inmate convicted in the brutal death of his wife 16 years ago. Lawyers for Timothy Shaun Stemple asked the Pardon and Parole Board for mercy. The panel voted 4-1 against. Stemple, who is 46, faces a March 15 execution date for the death of his wife, Trisha. Prosecutors say Stemple beat the woman with a baseball bat, then ran over her with his pickup truck along U.S. Highway 75 in Tulsa. A defense witness told the parole board that Trisha Stemple's injuries were consistent with that of a highway crash. Stemple spoke briefly at the hearing, appearing via a video monitor. He said the hearing was not an appropriate forum to discuss his situation.