Byron James Shepard, a 43-year-old man convicted for the 2017 murder of Tecumseh police officer Justin Terney, has died in prison while awaiting his execution. Shepard had been on death row since his conviction in 2019, where he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. His execution date had not yet been set due to ongoing appeals.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections confirmed that Shepard died early on January 14 at a local hospital. They said that no signs of physical injury or trauma were found, and the cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s office. The Office of Inspector General is investigating his death as part of the normal procedure.
Officer Justin Terney, 22, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on March 27, 2017. Shepard, who was a passenger in the car, was wanted for an outstanding warrant at the time. After giving the officer a false name, Shepard shot Terney and fled into the woods. Terney later died from his injuries.
In Shepard’s trial, prosecutors argued that he killed Terney to avoid being arrested for a stolen property charge. They highlighted his long criminal history, which involved violence and drug offenses. Shepard’s defense team claimed the shooting was unintentional and asked the jury to spare his life, suggesting a sentence of life in prison without parole instead of the death penalty.
At the time of his death, Shepard was in the process of appealing his death sentence in federal court, though his earlier appeals had been denied by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Shepard’s cellmate on death row, Wendell Grissom, who has also been convicted of murder, is scheduled for execution next, with his execution set for March 20.
