Anthony Sanchez, 44, was convicted in 2006 and is scheduled to be executed on September 21, 2023.
An Oklahoma inmate on death row has filed a motion requesting a new hearing on his case in which he claims there is new evidence that points to his father being responsible for the crime he is being executed for.
Anthony Sanchez, 44, an inmate on death row for the 1996 rape and murder of Jewell Busken, has requested an evidentiary hearing through the Oklahoma Court of Appeals, claiming new evidence proves that his father, Glen Sanchez, was the killer, according to court documents.
Anthony was convicted in 2006 after investigators got a cold hit on the case, allowing them to match his DNA to DNA found on the scene, stated the documents. Prior to the match he was not considered a suspect in her death, according to his motion.
The elder Sanchez was also not considered a suspect and has since passed. Following his death, his girlfriend, Charlotte Beattie, told attorneys that Glen had confessed to her that he was the one responsible for Busken’s murder, according to the motion.
Beattie said Glen Sanchez first confessed in July 2020 but she was too afraid of him to report it while he was still alive, the motion alleges. Glen died in April 2022 after committing suicide, according to a published report.
"Once he said he ... enjoyed watching her die," she said, reported The Oklahoman. "Glen said that he regretted Anthony was on death row for something Glen did. But he said that Anthony was tough and could deal with being locked up, whereas Glen wasn't strong enough to adapt to being incarcerated."
According to Anthony's motion, there is enough evidence to support his innocence or at least grant an evidentiary hearing based on the new statement from the girlfriend, along with possible inaccuracy from DNA, and the alleged lack of witness identifying Anthony as the killer.
Anthony Sanchez is being held at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 21 according to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
