Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Thursday halted the planned execution of Julius Jones, a Black man who was sentenced to death for a 1999 murder he’s always insisted he did not commit. Jones’s reprieve came just hours before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection. Hundreds of death penalty opponents erupted in cheers inside the Oklahoma state Capitol as news broke that Julius Jones’s life had been spared. But as a condition of granting clemency, Governor Stitt said Jones shall never be eligible for commutation, pardon or parole for the rest of his life. This is Rev. Christine Byrd, a longtime supporter of Julius Jones and his family.

Rev. Christine Byrd: “I am overjoyed. I know that some people will not see it as a victory, but Julius’ life was spared today, and so I am thankful that there will not be an execution today. Would we have wanted something different? Yes. But I am thankful that he will live another day.”