Death Row, Execution

Tremane Wood | Oklahoma Death Row | Execution Nov 13, 2025

Tremane Wood, condemned for the 2002 robbery-murder of 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf in Oklahoma City, is scheduled for execution on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

Tremane Wood photo

Tremane Wood | Pic Credit – Baptist News Global

American Murderer

Last updated November 14, 2025

👉 On the morning of November 13, 2025, Oklahoma planned to execute Tremane Wood at 10:00 a.m. in McAlester. About an hour before, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal. At 9:59 a.m., as he sat in a holding cell beside the death chamber after eating what he believed was his last meal the night before, a call came in: Governor Kevin Stitt had accepted the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation and commuted his sentence to life without parole.

After meeting with his attorneys for several hours and being moved off death row into a new cell, Wood was found unresponsive during a routine check and rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors later said he had suffered a stress- and dehydration-related medical event, likely collapsing and falling from his bunk. By Thursday evening he was stable and back at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, speaking with family and a spiritual adviser, and telling prison officials: “Tell Gov. Stitt I said thank you.”

Tremane Wood l Oklahoma Death Row

  • Full name: Tremane DeShawn Wood
  • Born: 1979 (age 46)
  • Crime: First-degree felony-murder during robbery; victim Ronnie Wipf (19), stabbed in the chest on Jan 1, 2002, Oklahoma City motel. Justia Law+
  • Arrest/Convicted: Arrested 2002; convicted 2004 in Oklahoma County (CF-2002-46). Supreme Court
  • Sentence: Death (jury found three aggravators; mitigators did not outweigh). Justia Law
  • Current status: Execution set for Nov 13, 2025; clemency hearing Nov 5, 2025; AG Drummond opposes clemency. Oklahoma Voice+1

Classification & Characteristics

A robbery-homicide arising from a planned motel-room stickup. Evidence at trial placed Wood as a co-principal under felony-murder, with the jury concluding he participated in the armed robbery during which Wipf was fatally stabbed, and that statutory aggravators warranted death.

The case has drawn attention because Wood’s brother, Zjaiton (“Jake”) Wood, admitted involvement and received life without parole, while advocates argue Tremane was not the actual stabber. Prosecutors maintain the felony-murder theory and trial record support Tremane’s death sentence; courts have repeatedly upheld the conviction and sentence.

Case Summary

Tremane DeShawn Wood is on Oklahoma death row for the 2002 robbery-murder of Ronnie Wipf (19) in Oklahoma City. A jury in 2004 found Wood guilty under the felony-murder rule and returned a death sentence; courts later upheld the conviction and sentence on direct appeal and federal habeas, with SCOTUS cert. denied (2019). His execution is scheduled for November 13, 2025 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary (McAlester), with a clemency hearing on November 5, 2025; no stay has been entered as of today. Co-defendant Zjaiton “Jake” Wood received life without parole.

Timeline of Tremane Wood Murder →

  • Jan 1, 2002 – Motel-room robbery in OKC; Ronnie Wipf fatally stabbed. Justia Law
  • 2004 – Jury convicts Wood of felony-murder; imposes death. Supreme Court
  • Apr 30, 2007 – OCCA affirms (Wood v. State, 2007 OK CR 17). Oklahoma Corporation Commission
  • Aug 9, 2018 – 10th Cir. denies federal habeas relief. Justia Law
  • Jan 22, 2019 – SCOTUS denies cert. scotusblog.com
  • Sep → Oct 2025 – Execution reset from Sept 11 to Nov 13, 2025. KOKH
  • Nov 5, 2025 – Clemency set before OK Pardon & Parole Board. Oklahoma Voice
  • Nov 13, 2025 – Execution date (lethal injection), OSP McAlester. Oklahoman

→ Quick Answers

  • Who: Tremane DeShawn Wood – Oklahoma death-row prisoner for the 2002 robbery-murder of Ronnie Wipf (Oklahoma County). Justia Law
  • Where now: Oklahoma State Penitentiary (McAlester) – execution scheduled Nov 13, 2025. Oklahoman
  • Current legal stage: Pre-execution warrant phase; clemency pending Nov 5; last-minute litigation possible. Oklahoma Voice
  • Appeals posture: Direct/state/federal habeas concluded; SCOTUS cert denied (2019). scotusblog.com
  • Stay/Warrant/Window: Date certain for Nov 13, 2025; no stay entered as of today. Oklahoman

🕊️ Victim

Ronnie Wipf (19) – Migrant farm worker from rural Montana; fatally stabbed in the heart and lung during the motel-room robbery. Oklahoma Voice

→ FAQs

What was Tremane Wood convicted of?

First-degree felony-murder for the 2002 robbery-murder of Ronnie Wipf (19) in Oklahoma City; a 2004 jury returned a death sentence.

When and where is his execution scheduled?

November 13, 2025, by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary (McAlester). A clemency hearing is set for November 5, 2025.

Was Wood the actual stabber?

The defense argues he wasn’t the stabber; the State’s theory- and the jury’s verdict -rest on felony-murder, which holds all co-participants in the planned robbery responsible when a death occurs. Co-defendant Zjaiton “Jake” Wood received life without parole.

What’s the appeals posture now?

Direct appeal and state/federal habeas are complete; SCOTUS certiorari was denied (2019). He is in the pre-execution warrant phase, with no stay entered as of today.

Tremane Wood | Death Row 2025

Tremane Wood l The Motel Room on New Year’s Day

👉 The Story

The City Wakes to Sirens

New Year’s morning, January 1, 2002, didn’t arrive quietly on the south side of Oklahoma City. A call from a roadside motel brought police to a cramped room where 19-year-old Ronnie Wipf lay mortally wounded – stabbed in the chest during what witnesses described as a robbery that began fast and turned fatal even faster.

The Plan That Became a Killing

Prosecutors would later tell jurors this wasn’t chance – it was a planned stickup. Tremane DeShawn Wood and an accomplice moved on a target they believed would fold. Instead, a struggle broke the room’s silence, and in seconds the line between theft and homicide was crossed. Under Oklahoma’s felony-murder rule, the law didn’t need to decide who drove the blade; it only needed to decide who helped set the crime in motion.

The Room After the Violence

Motel carpet, a scattered wallet, the metallic smell that clings to the air – officers logged the mess that violence makes. Paramedics fought a losing race. By the time the sun cleared the parking lot, a teenager who’d come to the city looking for work and a way forward was gone.

The Hunt and the Arrests

Tips, phone records and people who’d seen what they shouldn’t stitched a path to Wood and his brother Zjaiton (“Jake”). Interviews turned into statements; statements turned into charges. Each man’s role would be argued for years – one brother ultimately taking life without parole, the other facing a jury that would choose death.

The Question of the Knife

At trial, the defense pressed a single theme: Tremane wasn’t the stabber. The State pressed another: felony-murder makes co-planners equally responsible when a planned robbery turns deadly. Jurors weighed aggravating factors against mitigation and came back with what the statute allows when the balance breaks the State’s way.

The Verdict and the Sentence | Tremane Wood

In 2004, an Oklahoma County jury found Tremane Wood guilty and returned a sentence of death. Appeals rose and fell over the next two decades – direct review, state post-conviction, federal habeas, the last stop at the U.S. Supreme Court – each court leaving the verdict and sentence in place.

The Calendar Turns

Now the case sits at its terminal edge – execution scheduled for November 13, 2025 in McAlester – while clemency advocates point again to the dispute over who held the knife and prosecutors answer with the original theory the jurors believed.

The Name We Don’t Forget

Cases like this tend to orbit the condemned. We close on the center instead: Ronnie Wipf, nineteen, a son and friend whose life ended on a motel-room floor before the year had even begun. Whatever the law does next, the weight of the story rests with him.

Tremane Wood | Death Row Roll Call

Legal Status I Paper Trail | Tremane Wood

  • Direct appeal: OCCA affirmed conviction/sentence (2007). Oklahoma Corporation Commission
  • Federal habeas: 10th Cir. affirmed denial (2018). Justia Law
  • U.S. Supreme Court: Cert denied (2019). scotusblog.com
  • Warrant/scheduling: OCCA set Nov 13, 2025 execution; prior Sept 11 date vacated/reset. Oklahoman+1
  • Clemency posture: Board hearing Nov 5, 2025; AG Drummond filed opposition citing ongoing misconduct allegations in custody. Oklahoma Voice+1

📚 Additional Resources

  • Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals – Wood v. State, 2007 OK CR 17
  • Direct-appeal opinion with a detailed narrative of the robbery, the stabbing of Ronnie Wipf, co-defendant relationships, aggravators, and procedural history. Justia+1
  • Death Penalty Information Center – “Deeply Rooted Oklahoma Case Spotlight: Tremane Wood”
  • Explains the felony-murder angle, racial-bias concerns, and summarizes the trial, sentencing, and post-conviction issues in plain language. Death Penalty Information Center+1
  • Oklahoma Department of Corrections – Offender Info / Upcoming Executions
  • For DOC number, death-row status, and the scheduled execution date of November 13, 2025. Welcome to Oklahoma’s Official Web Site+1

📚 Further Reading / Watching

  • “Deeply Rooted Oklahoma Case Spotlight: Tremane Wood” – Death Penalty Information Center
  • Strong overview of the case with emphasis on felony-murder, co-defendant treatment, and racial disparities. Death Penalty Information Center+1
  • “Oklahoma Plans to Execute a Man Who Didn’t Kill Anyone” – Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
  • Advocacy piece walking through the robbery, Zjaiton’s confession, and how the felony-murder rule is being applied in Wood’s case. okappleseed.org
  • “Tremane Wood and Oklahoma’s Felony Murder Statute” (HuffPost via EndFMR)
  • Explains how Oklahoma’s felony-murder statute allowed a death sentence even though the brother received life and admitted to the killing. endfmrnow.org
  • “Oklahoma County Killer to Seek Clemency” – Oklahoma Voice
  • News explainer on his clemency bid, background of the crime, and claims of ineffective counsel and past abuse. Oklahoma Voice
  • “Tremane Wood Petitions Supreme Court over Alleged Prosecutorial Misconduct” – Davis Vanguard
  • Covers his latest cert petition alleging Brady/Napue issues, withheld deals, and improper contacts between the AG and the court. Davis Vanguard+1
  • Public Defenseless Podcast – Episode: “Why is Oklahoma Going to Execute a Man Who Didn’t Kill Anyone?”
  • Long-form interview with Amanda Bass Castro Alves, going deep into trial counsel issues, felony-murder, and racial bias in Oklahoma County. Public Defenseless Podcast+1
  • “Oklahoma Death Row Inmate Tremane Wood: Inside the Legal Battle to Stop an Execution” – News 9 / Ponca City Now (video)
  • Local TV package on his upcoming execution, his legal team’s push to stop it, and the controversy around executing a non-shooter. Ponca City Now+1
  • KOCO 5 News – “Family Rallies to Stop Tremane Wood’s Execution in Oklahoma” (video)
  • Footage of the family rally, clemency push, and recap of the 2002 motel robbery and Wipf’s death. KOCO+1
  • KOCO 5 News – “Oklahoma AG Accuses Death Row Inmate of Orchestrating Crimes from Prison” (video)
  • Drummond’s side of the story about alleged contraband phones, ordered “hit,” and prison drug activity, useful if you want a balanced “state’s position” link. KOCO+1

This site contains affiliate links. We may, at no cost to you, receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Thank you for your support.

JOIN US

Fireside Crime Stories

If the written word keeps you leaning forward into the shadows, then you’ll love settling back by the fire with us. On our YouTube channel, these same haunting stories are told in a softer voice – woven with stormlight, fire crackle, and quiet piano. Perfect for late-night listening, or for those who want to drift into slumber carried by true crime whispers instead of headlines. Step into the firelight, and join us there.

FIRESIDE CRIME STORIES

Related WickedWe Cases

  • Wanda Jean Allen – The First Black Woman Executed in the U.S. Since 1954
  • Brenda Andrew – Sunday School Killer & Oklahoma’s Only Woman on Death Row

👉 This page is part of the WickedWe True Crime Archive – a resource for researchers, students, and true crime enthusiasts seeking verified facts, case records, and deeper historical context. [Disclaimer→ WickedWe.com is an educational/entertainment column only. No graphic imagery. Victim-respect policy. Nothing herein is legal advice.]

BEYOND THE GAVEL | Tremane Wood

Roll Card – Snapshot

Docket Map – Proceedings (Condensed)

  • 2004: Jury convicts Wood of felony-murder (Ronnie Wipf, 2002) and returns death sentence (Oklahoma County). Justia Law
  • Apr 30, 2007: OCCA affirms conviction & sentence (Wood v. State, 2007 OK CR 17). Justia Law+1
  • Aug 9, 2018 / Nov 1, 2018: Tenth Circuit denies federal habeas relief (panel opinion; amended order on rehearing). Justia Law+1
  • Jan 22, 2019: SCOTUS denies certiorari (case considered with Oklahoma racial-bias cert petitions). Death Penalty Information Center+1
  • Sept–Oct 2025: OCCA scheduling resets; execution calendared for Nov 13, 2025; clemency set Nov 5. Welcome to Oklahoma’s Official Web Site+1

Stay / Warrant / Window

  • Date-certain warrant for Nov 13, 2025; no stay entered as of today. Oklahoma Voice

Case File Extras – What the Record Shows

  • Theory at trial: Planned motel-room robbery → felony-murder liability; jury found three aggravators and that mitigation didn’t outweigh. Justia Law
  • Victim: Ronnie Wipf (19) – fatal stab wound to heart/lung during the robbery. Oklahoma Voice
  • Co-defendant: Zjaiton “Jake” Wood – life without parole. (Noted in appellate record and press summaries.) Justia Law+1

Source Pack |Tremane Wood

Sources

OCCA opinion; 10th Cir. habeas; SCOTUS docket/denial; OKCFOX & The Oklahoman scheduling updates; Oklahoma Voice clemency notice; AG press release. Welcome to Oklahoma’s Official Web Site+6Oklahoma Corporation Commission+6Justia Law+6

Our Shop

Related Posts