United States Attorney General Pam Bondi has approved the transfer of convicted murderer George John Hanson to Oklahoma, where he is set to face the death penalty for the 1999 murder of 77-year-old Mary Bowles. The decision comes in response to a formal request by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who has been pushing for Hanson’s execution to be carried out in accordance with state law.
Hanson, also known as John Fitzgerald Hanson, and an accomplice kidnapped Bowles from a Tulsa mall in 1999 before shooting her to death at a remote location near Owasso. The accomplice also killed Jerald Max Thurman, a witness to the crime. Hanson, who has been serving a life sentence in a Louisiana federal prison for an unrelated bank robbery, was sentenced to death in Oklahoma for Bowles’ murder.
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Attorney General Drummond formally requested Hanson’s transfer on January 23, 2025, citing President Trump’s recent executive order aimed at ensuring the enforcement of capital punishment laws. The order, issued earlier that week, directs federal officials to “respect and faithfully implement” laws authorizing the death penalty and to counteract efforts by politicians and judges to obstruct executions.
“I appreciate Attorney General Bondi’s swift action in this case and her commitment to ensuring that justice is served for the death of Mary Bowles,” Drummond said in a statement. He emphasized that the Biden administration’s previous refusal to transfer Hanson was “the epitome of subverting and obstructing the execution of a capital sentence.”
Hanson attempted to block the transfer by filing a petition for emergency relief in a federal district court in Louisiana. However, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a response on Wednesday night, recommending the denial of his petition. Bondi followed up with a memorandum on Thursday, formally directing Hanson’s transfer to Oklahoma.
The transfer will allow Hanson to be moved to the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center in Oklahoma, where he will be prepared for execution. Drummond has requested that the transfer be completed before the next scheduled execution on March 20, 2025, to make Hanson eligible for the next available execution date, likely in June.
Hanson’s execution was originally scheduled for December 15, 2022, but was delayed due to the Biden administration’s refusal to transfer him to Oklahoma. The delay sparked outrage among advocates for victims’ rights and reignited debates over the federal government’s role in capital punishment cases.
President Trump’s executive order, issued in January 2025, has been seen as a direct response to such delays, aiming to streamline the process for carrying out death sentences. The order has been praised by supporters of capital punishment but criticized by opponents who argue that it undermines due process and the ability to review potentially wrongful convictions.
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With Bondi’s approval, Hanson’s transfer to Oklahoma is expected to proceed without further delays. Once in state custody, he will undergo the standard assessment process before being assigned an execution date. The case highlights the ongoing tension between state and federal authorities over the enforcement of capital punishment and the broader debate over the death penalty in the United States.
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