Death row inmate James Pavatt executed for high-profile 2001 Oklahoma City murder

Oklahoma has carried out the execution James Pavatt, who was convicted for his role in a high-profile 2001 murder in Oklahoma City.

Pavatt was sentenced to death for the murder of Rob Andrew in 2001. Pavatt still claimed he did not kill Andrew, but the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended against granting him clemency last month.

He was executed shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

His last meal request was a strawberry milkshake and a three-meat barbecue dinner with smoked chicken, smoked brisket, pulled pork, fried okra, baked beans, and pickles.

Scroll down to learn more about this case.

Rob Andrew and his estranged wife, Brenda Andrew, were separated and going through a divorce when Brenda Andrew began a romantic relationship with Pavatt, who was a life insurance agent at the time and helped Rob Andrew get an $800,000 policy.

Prosecutors argued that Brenda Andrew and Pavatt conspired to kill Rob Andrew so his estranged wife could benefit from the policy.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Rob Andrew’s brake lines had been cut a month before his murder. Rob had reported the incident to authorities.

>> Video Below: Oklahoma man maintains innocence as execution looms in high-profile 2001 murder case

"My brake lines have been cut for my car. That sounds like attempted murder, don't you think?" Rob Andrew told dispatchers.

Before Rob Andrew’s funeral, Brenda Andrew fled to Mexico with Pavatt. The pair was captured by Mexican authorities three months later.

While Pavatt’s family shared home videos portraying him as a loving family man and veteran, he was convicted for his role in Rob Andrew’s murder.

"They said at her trial, Brenda’s trial, the evidence is clear that she is the shooter. They just never bothered to tell Jim’s jury that," Labovitz said.

>> Video Below: Pardon and Parole Board denies clemency for Oklahoma death row inmate James Pavatt

Both of them eventually were convicted of the murder. Brenda Andrew currently sits on death row.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement in mid-September urging the Pardon and Parole Board to not recommend clemency.

"Rob Andrew was gunned down in his own garage, feet from the children he loved, by a man he had trusted as a friend and an insurance agent," Drummond said in a news release. "Twenty-five years later, Pavatt still won't tell the truth about what he did. There must be justice for Rob."

>> 2025 Video Below: SCOTUS grants new hearing for Brenda Andrew, the only woman on Oklahoma death row