James Pavatt Execution Scheduled November 12 for Rob Andrew Murder
James Pavatt Execution Scheduled Thursday for 2001 Oklahoma City Murder
The James Pavatt execution is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, more than two decades after the murder of Oklahoma City advertising executive Rob Andrew. Pavatt, 73, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at 10 a.m. for his role in the November 2001 killing of Andrew, who was 39 years old when he was shot inside the garage of his Oklahoma City home.
The execution follows years of legal proceedings involving Pavatt and his former lover, Brenda Andrew, who was also convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of her estranged husband. Prosecutors argued that the two conspired to kill Rob Andrew to collect an $800,000 life insurance policy. Pavatt has continued to maintain that he did not participate in the shooting, but his request for clemency was rejected by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in October. Unless a court intervenes, the execution is scheduled to proceed Thursday morning.
James Pavatt Execution Follows 2001 Murder of Rob Andrew
The case dates to November 20, 2001, when Rob Andrew was fatally shot in the garage of his Oklahoma City residence. The killing became one of Oklahoma's most widely followed murder cases because of the relationship between the victim, his estranged wife and a longtime family friend.
James Pavatt, an insurance agent who had known the Andrew family for years, was involved in a romantic relationship with Brenda Andrew while she and Rob were divorcing.
Prosecutors argued that Pavatt and Brenda Andrew developed a plan to murder Rob Andrew and collect proceeds from an $800,000 life insurance policy. According to the prosecution's case, an earlier attempt involved tampering with the brake lines of Rob Andrew's vehicle before the fatal shooting occurred.
Following the murder, Pavatt and Brenda Andrew fled to Mexico with the Andrews' two children. Authorities apprehended the pair approximately three months later when they attempted to return to the United States.
Both defendants were subsequently prosecuted in Oklahoma County and received death sentences in separate trials.
Pavatt has disputed his involvement in the murder, maintaining that he was guilty of having an affair with Brenda Andrew but did not participate in shooting her husband.
The case has remained in the courts for more than two decades, involving appeals and legal challenges to the convictions and sentences.
Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board Rejects Clemency Request
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board considered Pavatt's request for clemency on October 14, 2026, ultimately voting 3-2 against recommending clemency.
During the hearing, Pavatt maintained his innocence in the shooting and sought relief from his death sentence. The board's decision left the execution scheduled for November 12.
Under Oklahoma law, the governor's authority to grant clemency in a death penalty case depends on a favorable recommendation from the Pardon and Parole Board. Because the board declined to recommend clemency, Governor Kevin Stitt cannot independently commute Pavatt's sentence through the state's ordinary clemency process.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board reviews clemency applications and makes recommendations to the governor under the authority established by Oklahoma law.
The execution is scheduled to take place at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, where the state carries out executions by lethal injection.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections oversees the state prison system and administers executions pursuant to court orders and applicable state procedures.
A last-minute court stay could delay or halt the execution, but Pavatt's scheduled date remains in place as of Wednesday, November 11.
Brenda Andrew Remains on Oklahoma Death Row as Execution Date Approaches
While Pavatt's execution is scheduled for Thursday, Brenda Andrew remains on Oklahoma's death row for her conviction in the same murder.
Andrew was tried separately and sentenced to death for her role in the killing of her estranged husband. She remains the only woman on Oklahoma's death row, and no execution date has been scheduled in her case.
Her legal proceedings have followed a separate path from Pavatt's, with appeals and challenges continuing through the courts.
The murder of Rob Andrew left the couple's two children without their father and became the subject of extensive public attention because of the alleged insurance motive, the relationship between the defendants and their flight to Mexico following the shooting.
For more than two decades, the case has remained part of Oklahoma's criminal justice history as both defendants pursued legal challenges to their convictions and death sentences.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, which handles criminal appeals and post-conviction proceedings in capital cases, is part of the state's judicial system. Information about Oklahoma's appellate courts and judicial proceedings is available through the Oklahoma State Courts Network.
Thursday's scheduled execution would conclude Pavatt's death sentence, while Brenda Andrew's separate legal proceedings remain unresolved.
The James Pavatt execution is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, November 12, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, following his conviction in the 2001 murder of Oklahoma City advertising executive Rob Andrew. With clemency denied by a 3-2 vote and no court stay currently reported, Pavatt is set to face lethal injection more than 24 years after the killing, while co-defendant Brenda Andrew remains on death row without an execution date.
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