An American, author of a double murder, must be executed this Thursday in Oklahoma

An American, sentenced to death for having killed a couple in their seventies, is to be executed on Thursday in the presence of a priest whom the Oklahoma prison authorities initially wanted to keep at a distance.

Scott Eizember, 62, is due to receive a lethal injection at 10 a.m. at McAlester Penitentiary in the central United States.

In 2005, he was sentenced to death for the murder, two years earlier, of an elderly couple.

According to a statement from the Oklahoma attorney general, he had "

", before shooting the wife and then smashing the husband's skull with his pistol.

Last wishes

Last September, he received a visit from a priest opposed to the death penalty, Jeffrey Hood, a member of the Old Catholic Church (which broke with Rome).

The two men had bonded and Scott Eizember had wished that this priest accompany him during his transition from life to death.

On January 4, the penitentiary officials had refused, highlighting the “

” of the priest likely according to them to make a scene during the execution.

The two men then took legal action, accusing these officials of “

religion”.

“

,” their lawyers had written.

To put an end to this procedure, the Oklahoma prison authorities finally accepted the presence of Jeffrey Hood, saying they were acting in the interests of the victims' families.

"

", explained their director Steven Harpe in a press release.

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In the United States, the approach of executions usually sparks legal battles that often end at the last minute before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Since its reshuffle by former Republican President Donald Trump, it has refused most appeals from convicts, with the exception of those formulated in the name of religious freedoms.

In 2021, she had thus granted a reprieve to a Texan who wanted his chaplain to be able to put his hands on his body during the execution.