Murderer Michael DeWayne Smith is a member of the Oak Grove Posse (OGP), a subset of the Crips gang that operates in Oklahoma City. In November 2000, Teron "T-Nok" Armstrong and two other members of the OGP attempted to rob Tran's Food Mart in south Oklahoma City. The store owner shot and killed Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Smith was not involved in the robbery but had "close personal ties" to Mr. Armstrong. Smith v. State (Smith I), 157 P.3d 1155, 1161 (Okla. Crim. App. 2007).
The other two would-be robbers were later arrested and were set to be tried for the robbery in February 2002. Two days before the trial, Mr. Smith, armed with a .357 revolver, went to the apartment of Janet Moore. Believing Ms. Moore's son was a police informant, Mr. Smith kicked in her door and confronted her. When she began to scream, Mr. Smith shot her to death. Before leaving, Mr. Smith wiped down the apartment to eliminate fingerprint evidence.
Three days after Mr. Smith was arrested, detectives interviewed him about the killings. He signed a written waiver of his Miranda rights and agreed to talk to the detectives. After initially denying his involvement, Mr. Smith admitted to both murders, explaining that he "killed both victims in retaliation for wrongs done him or his family." Id. He explained that he went to Ms. Moore's apartment looking for her son but killed her when she "panicked and started screaming." Id. And he stated that he killed Mr. Pulluru "in retaliation against the store owner who shot Armstrong and in retaliation for disrespectful comments about Armstrong in the press attributed to someone from the A-Z Mart." Id. He further admitted that he had disposed of the clothes he wore during the murders, wiped down Ms. Moore's apartment to eliminate fingerprints, and set fires in the A-Z Mart to destroy evidence. Mr. Smith's confession was videotaped.
Execution Set:
Michael DeWayne Smith was initially scheduled to be executed on Thursday, July 6, 2023. However, his execution date has been rescheduled to April 4, 2024. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the rescheduling to allow more time between executions. The executions are at 10 am local time at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Michael DeWayne Smith is convicted of murdering 40-year-old Janet Moore and 24-year-old Sarath "Babu" Pulluru on February 22, 2002, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has spent the last 21 years on death row in Oklahoma.
The other two would-be robbers were later arrested and were set to be tried for the robbery in February 2002. Two days before the trial, Mr. Smith, armed with a .357 revolver, went to the apartment of Janet Moore. Believing Ms. Moore's son was a police informant, Mr. Smith kicked in her door and confronted her. When she began to scream, Mr. Smith shot her to death. Before leaving, Mr. Smith wiped down the apartment to eliminate fingerprint evidence.
Three days after Mr. Smith was arrested, detectives interviewed him about the killings. He signed a written waiver of his Miranda rights and agreed to talk to the detectives. After initially denying his involvement, Mr. Smith admitted to both murders, explaining that he "killed both victims in retaliation for wrongs done him or his family." Id. He explained that he went to Ms. Moore's apartment looking for her son but killed her when she "panicked and started screaming." Id. And he stated that he killed Mr. Pulluru "in retaliation against the store owner who shot Armstrong and in retaliation for disrespectful comments about Armstrong in the press attributed to someone from the A-Z Mart." Id. He further admitted that he had disposed of the clothes he wore during the murders, wiped down Ms. Moore's apartment to eliminate fingerprints, and set fires in the A-Z Mart to destroy evidence. Mr. Smith's confession was videotaped.
Execution Set:
Michael DeWayne Smith was initially scheduled to be executed on Thursday, July 6, 2023. However, his execution date has been rescheduled to April 4, 2024. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the rescheduling to allow more time between executions. The executions are at 10 am local time at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Michael DeWayne Smith is convicted of murdering 40-year-old Janet Moore and 24-year-old Sarath "Babu" Pulluru on February 22, 2002, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has spent the last 21 years on death row in Oklahoma.
Murderer Michael DeWayne Smith is a member of the Oak Grove Posse (OGP), a subset of the Crips gang that operates in Oklahoma City. In November 2000, Teron "T-Nok" Armstrong and two other members of the OGP attempted to rob Tran's Food Mart in south Oklahoma City. The store owner shot and killed Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Smith was not involved in the robbery but had "close personal ties" to Mr. Armstrong. Smith v. State (Smith I), 157 P.3d 1155, 1161 (Okla. Crim. App. 2007).
The other two would-be robbers were later arrested and were set to be tried for the robbery in February 2002. Two days before the trial, Mr. Smith, armed with a .357 revolver, went to the apartment of Janet Moore. Believing Ms. Moore's son was a police informant, Mr. Smith kicked in her door and confronted her. When she began to scream, Mr. Smith shot her to death. Before leaving, Mr. Smith wiped down the apartment to eliminate fingerprint evidence.
Three days after Mr. Smith was arrested, detectives interviewed him about the killings. He signed a written waiver of his Miranda rights and agreed to talk to the detectives. After initially denying his involvement, Mr. Smith admitted to both murders, explaining that he "killed both victims in retaliation for wrongs done him or his family." Id. He explained that he went to Ms. Moore's apartment looking for her son but killed her when she "panicked and started screaming." Id. And he stated that he killed Mr. Pulluru "in retaliation against the store owner who shot Armstrong and in retaliation for disrespectful comments about Armstrong in the press attributed to someone from the A-Z Mart." Id. He further admitted that he had disposed of the clothes he wore during the murders, wiped down Ms. Moore's apartment to eliminate fingerprints, and set fires in the A-Z Mart to destroy evidence. Mr. Smith's confession was videotaped.
Execution Set:
Michael DeWayne Smith was initially scheduled to be executed on Thursday, July 6, 2023. However, his execution date has been rescheduled to April 4, 2024. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the rescheduling to allow more time between executions. The executions are at 10 am local time at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Michael DeWayne Smith is convicted of murdering 40-year-old Janet Moore and 24-year-old Sarath "Babu" Pulluru on February 22, 2002, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has spent the last 21 years on death row in Oklahoma.
The other two would-be robbers were later arrested and were set to be tried for the robbery in February 2002. Two days before the trial, Mr. Smith, armed with a .357 revolver, went to the apartment of Janet Moore. Believing Ms. Moore's son was a police informant, Mr. Smith kicked in her door and confronted her. When she began to scream, Mr. Smith shot her to death. Before leaving, Mr. Smith wiped down the apartment to eliminate fingerprint evidence.
Three days after Mr. Smith was arrested, detectives interviewed him about the killings. He signed a written waiver of his Miranda rights and agreed to talk to the detectives. After initially denying his involvement, Mr. Smith admitted to both murders, explaining that he "killed both victims in retaliation for wrongs done him or his family." Id. He explained that he went to Ms. Moore's apartment looking for her son but killed her when she "panicked and started screaming." Id. And he stated that he killed Mr. Pulluru "in retaliation against the store owner who shot Armstrong and in retaliation for disrespectful comments about Armstrong in the press attributed to someone from the A-Z Mart." Id. He further admitted that he had disposed of the clothes he wore during the murders, wiped down Ms. Moore's apartment to eliminate fingerprints, and set fires in the A-Z Mart to destroy evidence. Mr. Smith's confession was videotaped.
Execution Set:
Michael DeWayne Smith was initially scheduled to be executed on Thursday, July 6, 2023. However, his execution date has been rescheduled to April 4, 2024. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the rescheduling to allow more time between executions. The executions are at 10 am local time at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Michael DeWayne Smith is convicted of murdering 40-year-old Janet Moore and 24-year-old Sarath "Babu" Pulluru on February 22, 2002, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has spent the last 21 years on death row in Oklahoma.
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