Family Of Murder Victims Still Waiting For Justice

This is crime victim’s rights week.  Families waiting on executions to resume in Oklahoma feel they’re not getting justice.

Debra Wyatt’s parents were murdered in 2003, but their killer remains on death row.

Wyatt and her family are very frustrated that Scott Eizember, the man convicted of killing her parents, has not yet been executed.  Now, with Wyatt’s personal health issues, she’s afraid she could die before Eizember does.

4/26/2017 Related Story:  OK Woman Feels Justice Won’t Be Served Until Parents' Murderer Executed

A.J. and Patsy Cantrell had recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary when they came home to find Scott Eizember using their house as a place to spy on his girlfriend across the street.  He’d only been out of jail a day.

Eizember says Patsy talked to him about God.  A.J. tried to grab his shotgun away from Eizember and Patsy was shot, which made A.J. fight even harder.  Eizember was younger and stronger and beat A.J. to death, then dumped both bodies in the bathroom.

“I struggle to wrap my head around it because it’s so unfair,” said Wyatt.

Eizember was the subject of a manhunt for more than 30 days before forcing a doctor at gunpoint to drive him south.  However, the doctor had a gun of his own and shot Eizember, which led to Eizember’s arrest.  He was sentenced to death, but that death hasn’t come.

7/26/2007 Related Story:  Appeals Court Upholds Eizember Death Penalty

Lindsey Wheeler, the victims’ granddaughter, says, “I was 18.  I’m 33 now.  This has been a looming cloud over our family my entire adult life.”

They’re frustrated it’s taken so long to come up with a new execution protocol since the lethal injection drugs are no longer available.  They say enough is enough.

“It won’t provide closure, but it will close a chapter and he won’t be breathing,” said Wyatt.

There’s no timetable set for when executions could once again begin in Oklahoma.