Pavatt, who has been on death row since 2003, is set to be executed by lethal injection at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester for the 2001 murder of Rob Andrew, an Oklahoma City advertising executive and father. He has consistently maintained his innocence, but last month the state Pardon and Parole Board denied his clemency request.

The protest, organized by Veterans for Peace, Death Penalty Action, and local activists, included a demonstration during a veterans parade in Midwest City, where participants held signs reading, "Oklahoma is executing a veteran tomorrow." Organizers said they chose Wednesday to speak out because Pavatt's veteran status should be a factor and because they believe other elements of the case need to be re-examined.

Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, said his group opposes the death penalty in all cases but emphasized that veterans deserve special consideration. "If we're going to have executions, then we should be having special consideration for those who are veterans, who served admirably, who did their duty for this country," Bonowitz said. "And even if they're guilty, James Pavatt, somebody else confessed to this crime. But at the end of the day, we should not be executing veterans."

Bonowitz called on Gov. Kevin Stitt to issue a stay to allow the courts to examine the confession of another individual who claims to have committed the crime. "Governor Stitt can put a hold on this execution until that could be looked at," he said. "There's no reason to execute this guy. Even if we throw away the key, that's better than killing him."

Local attorney James Branum, who attended the protest, said the death penalty often deepens trauma for victims' families rather than providing closure. "Having spoken to people who are the family members of victims of violence, many of them have said that the death penalty does not bring them the closure that they were hoping they would have," Branum said. "The death penalty itself is a form of trauma to everyone involved, including for the families who are left behind after an act of violence."

Branum also called for a broader rethinking of the justice system. "We as a country, we need to give more thought to what real justice looks like, restorative justice," he said. "Our current system doesn't do that."

The case dates back to Nov. 20, 2001, when Rob Andrew was shot and killed at his Oklahoma City home. At the time, he and his wife, Brenda, were separated. According to records, Brenda told investigators she had asked Rob to come to the house to light the furnace when two masked men entered and shot him. Rob was shot twice with a shotgun.

Investigators later uncovered an affair between Brenda and Pavatt, who was also the couple's life insurance agent. The investigation also found that Rob's life had been threatened about a month before the murder when someone cut the brake lines on his car. Prosecutors presented evidence connecting Brenda and Pavatt to that incident and argued the two conspired to kill Rob for a life insurance policy worth about $800,000.

Days after the murder, Brenda, Pavatt, and the Andrews' two children fled to Mexico. They were taken into custody in February 2002 while attempting to return to the United States. In 2003, a jury found Pavatt guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, and he was sentenced to death. Brenda Andrew was also convicted of first-degree murder and remains on death row.

The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is planning a protest and vigil at 9 a.m. Thursday outside the governor's mansion. As of Wednesday evening, Gov. Stitt had not indicated whether he would intervene.