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- calendar_today November 12, 2026
James Pavatt Executed for 2001 Murder Plot
James Pavatt, a 73-year-old Oklahoma man, was executed by lethal injection on Thursday for his role in the 2001 murder of Rob Andrew. Pavatt was convicted of plotting with his lover, Brenda Andrew, to kill her estranged husband. The execution took place at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, marking the end of a case that began 25 years ago near Oklahoma City.
The Murder of Rob Andrew
Rob Andrew, a 39-year-old advertising executive, was shot and killed in his garage while picking up his two young children just before Thanksgiving in 2001. Investigators determined that Pavatt and Brenda Andrew conspired to kill Rob, who had previously warned police that someone had tried to tamper with his car's brakes weeks prior to the shooting.
Details of the Crime and Investigation
Brenda Andrew initially told authorities that masked intruders had attacked at the home she previously shared with Rob, shooting her in the arm and fatally shooting Rob Andrew. Prosecutors, however, argued that Brenda and Pavatt had planned the attack together. Following the murder, Brenda Andrew and Pavatt fled to Mexico with Brenda's two children. They were apprehended three months later when they attempted to re-enter the United States.
Conviction and Sentencing
Pavatt was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Brenda Andrew was tried separately and also received the death penalty. Prosecutors maintained that both Pavatt and Andrew bore equal responsibility for Rob Andrew's death, regardless of who fired the fatal shots.
Clemency Hearing and Final Hours
Pavatt continued to assert his innocence at a clemency hearing in the weeks before his execution, stating that Brenda Andrew had manipulated him. Despite his claims, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections proceeded with the execution. Pavatt requested a strawberry milkshake and a barbecue dinner consisting of smoked chicken, brisket, pulled pork, fried okra, baked beans, and pickles as his last meal. He was pronounced dead at 10:12 a.m. local time, and officials described the procedure as 'uneventful,' noting that Pavatt offered no last words.
Wider Context of Executions
Pavatt's execution was the first of two scheduled in the United States on Thursday. John Allen Rubio was also set to be executed in Texas that evening for an unrelated 2003 triple homicide. Pavatt's case underscores ongoing debates about the death penalty and criminal convictions arising from murder plots.
Source: foxnews.com.
