Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has denied parole for Verna Stafford, a woman serving multiple consecutive life sentences.
Stafford reached parole eligibility for her first sentence. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board may reconsider her case in another three years. Had Stitt approved parole, Stafford would have begun serving her second consecutive life sentence.
Rep. Robert Manger, R-Oklahoma City, released a statement supporting the denial. Manger chairs the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee and said victim relatives had expressed concerns about Stafford's potential release.
"I trusted Governor Stitt to make the right decision in this case, and he did," Manger said. "Let this be a reminder that those responsible for a massacre should not expect leniency from the state."
Manger began his 33-year law enforcement career the same year the Sirloin Stockade murders occurred and was present when those convicted of that crime were booked into jail.