Tulsa World: Family's tyrant executed for killing niece

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Family's tyrant executed for killing niece

By DENVER NICKS World Staff Writer
Published: 9/26/2008 2:04 AM
Last Modified: 9/26/2008 2:04 AM

McALESTER — A bigamist and cruel patriarch, Jesse James Cummings led a life scarred by violence.

It came to a peaceful end Thursday when he was executed by lethal injection for the 1991 murder of his 11-year-old niece Melissa Moody.

His conviction in the murder of his half-sister Judy Moody Mayo, Melissa's mother, had been overturned on appeal.

Janell Jenkins, one of Cummings' ex-wives, said in a statement that Melissa "had her innocence, and then her life" taken from her 17 years ago. "Now, finally, after those 17 years there is justice being done, by the execution of Jesse James Cummings.

"And also now no one, especially no female, will ever have to live in fear because of this horrible, horrible man."

But Cummings, 52, denied his guilt to the end, saying, "You came here to see an innocent man die," moments before he was injected with the drugs that rendered him unconscious and ultimately stopped his breathing and his heart.

While strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, Cummings said: "I love my family. I love my children. The justice system let me down on this case. It turned a blind eye to truth in this."

Before taking two heaving last breaths, he said, "I forgive everybody involved in this."

Although the courts upheld his conviction for his niece's murder throughout the appeals process, Cummings consistently claimed that he had been wrongly convicted. The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, the Innocent in Prison Project International and others had joined in support of his petition for clemency, which was denied last month.

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said in a statement before the execution: "Cummings was properly convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Melissa Moody. Appeals courts at every level have upheld this conviction and sentence. My thoughts are with the family and friends of Melissa and her mother, Judy."

At the time of the murders, Cummings lived in a Coal County household of overlapping sexual relationships. In the small town of Phillips, the polygamist lived with his ailing father; his wives, Sherry and Juanita Cummings; and one child of each woman. His half-sister and niece lived in nearby Tushka.

His wives testified that Cummings lorded over their home, employing violence, rape and incest to control his family.

The gruesome murders went unsolved for three years until Juanita Cummings confessed in 1994 to murdering Moody Mayo. She testified that her husband had threatened to kill her son if she did not murder his sister.

While Cummings was escorting his father to Oklahoma City for cancer treatment, she carried out his order.

When Cummings returned, he and his wives disposed of the corpse. According to testimony, he then sexually assaulted his niece, murdered her and disposed of her body.

Juanita Cummings is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.

Sherry Cummings is serving a 35-year sentence on two counts of accessory to murder after the fact and one count of permitting a child to be abused.

Cummings' execution was witnessed by a female friend, Atoka County Sheriff Gary McCool, his defense attorney, two spiritual advisers, and five friends and relatives of the victims.

For his last meal, Cummings asked for a bucket of KFC chicken, eight additional drumsticks and a chocolate milkshake.

Oklahoma has executed 171 people since 1915. The state's death row now holds 77 inmates.

Denver Nicks 581-8475
denver.nicks@tulsaworld.com By DENVER NICKS World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment Isaac Parker, Tulsa (9/26/2008 5:06:50 AM) Only took 17 years for justice...good riddance.
	Report Comment Tony G, Tulsa (9/26/2008 6:16:19 AM) This man deserved to die--exactly the same way as his victim.
	Report Comment MovedAway, (9/26/2008 8:43:24 AM) I have never understood granting a vicious killer his choice of a last meal before his execution. What is up with that????
	Report Comment Eric, Tulsa (9/26/2008 9:11:43 AM) Wow - the story behind this badazz dude is amazing...it could make for a great book or movie, as he was one evil sumb*tch. Yeah - good riddance. Now, would someone pass me that bucket of KFC...I'm hungry!
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, small town (9/26/2008 9:49:39 AM) I dont think i will eat KFC again. it would make me sick with just the thought of this creep.
	Report Comment Bonasera the Undertaker, (9/27/2008 11:41:00 AM) What is amazing is that the two wives were so easily taken in by him (BAA-AAA, Baa-aaa), which in turn exposed innocent children to the perversion. Wake up ladies. Put yourselves in harm's way, but not your children. They don't have a choice to opt out of a plan like this. But YOU do!
	Report Comment Bonasera the Undertaker, (9/27/2008 11:45:08 AM) ...and another observation...what a slap in the face for the outlaw Jessee James, to have had his name carried on by a worthless piece of vermin . HMPFFF !
	Report Comment Bluebird48, Sand Springs (9/27/2008 4:11:59 PM) What is with Oklahoma...why does it take so long to just hang him???? 17 years!!! plus we gave him FREE KFC!!! In Indiana we would of just given him a one wee white castle. Seymour Hixx is back from vacation!! Yeah!!!
	Report Comment Bonasera the Undertaker, (9/28/2008 8:04:48 PM) Rip Van Seymour

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