Attorney General's News Release

July 1, 1996

U.S. Supreme Court denies petition of Richard Oxford; Nixon to ask for rescheduled execution date

Jefferson City, Mo. — After previously issuing a stay of execution last month, the United States Supreme Court today declined to review the habeas corpus petition of Missouri death row inmate Richard Oxford. The denial was the third time the high court refused to review Oxford's conviction for the 1986 murder of Melba Wampler.

Attorney General Jay Nixon said Oxford had attempted to use a federal law enacted in April to further delay his execution. The new law, which limits federal appeals by state inmates, was challenged by a Georgia inmate before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld those limits.

Nixon, who worked with the National Association of Attorneys General for passage of the new law, said his office will ask the Missouri Supreme Court to set a new execution date for Oxford.

“After being convicted and sentenced by a Missouri court, Richard Oxford has succeeded in delaying justice for far too long,” Nixon said. “Today's ruling will help bring about his long-delayed sentence.”

Oxford escaped with his cellmate, Richard Brown, from an Oklahoma prison on Nov. 11, 1986. The pair showed up three days later at a country and western bar in Joplin, where they met Melba and Harold Wampler, who were out with friends.

The Wamplers, who owned a local dairy farm, were last seen alive leaving the bar with Oxford that night. Their bodies were discovered in the trunk of their car at a Kansas City motel in early January 1987. They had been shot and their bodies were bound.

Oxford's prior convictions included three counts of rape, four counts of forcible sodomy, assault with intent to rape, four counts of burglary and nine other convictions.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818