John Hanson Scheduled Execution Crime and his final days on Death row (Oklahoma prison)

John Hanson Scheduled Execution Crime and his final days on Death row (Oklahoma prison) 

 

The next death row inmate set to be executed in Oklahoma is seeking mercy from the pardon and parole board. John Hansen has filed for clemency. He was recently transferred back to Oklahoma from a federal prison in Louisiana earlier this year so his execution could be carried out here. Hansen is on death row for killing 77year-old Mary BS, a woman he kidnapped from a Tulsa mall back in 1999.

In his clemency petition, lawyers say Hansen is on the autism spectrum and claim his case had legal irregularity to deny the petition, saying in a statement, quote, “This murderer’s execution has been delayed for far too long. I’m committed to ensuring the BS family finally sees that justice is done for their loved one.

 If Hansen is denied clemency, his execution is set for June 12th.” Two men involved in the same horrific double murder. Yet only one is sentenced to death while the other lives with a life sentence. How is that justice? Back in 1999 in Tulsa, a chilling crime unfolded. A 77year-old woman was kidnapped and murdered and a witness who saw everything was silenced forever.

 The brutality shocked the community and the two offenders, George John Hansen and Victor Miller, were caught and convicted. But here’s where the story takes a controversial turn. George John Hansen has spent years fighting his death sentence, appealing tirelessly, trying to prove that he was manipulated and not the mastermind behind the crime.

 Despite all his efforts, his death sentence was never overturned. Meanwhile, Victor Miller, his accomplice, had his death sentence commuted to life in prison. If you committed the crime together, shouldn’t the punishment be equal? This case forces us to question the fairness of the justice system. Our sentence is really based on the crime itself or on who can navigate the system better.

 Now, with Hansen’s execution set for June 12th, 2025, the eyes of many will be on Oklahoma. Will justice be served, or will this case remain a stark example of partiality in the legal system? Like, comment, and subscribe if you’re drawn to stories that reveal the complicated truths behind crime and punishment.

 On August 31st, 1999, a violent crime unfolded in Tulsa County that would haunt the community for decades to come. Two men, George John Hansen, also known as John Fitzgerald Hansen and Victor Cornell Miller, committed a terrifying series of acts that changed lives forever. That evening, 77-year-old Mary Agnes BS, a respected retired banker and former president of the St.

 Francis Hospital Auxiliary, was kidnapped from a Tulsa Prominade Mall parking lot. Hansen and Miller, who had recently robbed two liquor stores, targeted BS to steal her car, planning to use it for further crimes. Miller took the wheel while Hansen held Bowls at gunpoint, forcing her into the back seat. They drove her to a remote dirt pit near A waso.

 What happened next would shock anyone who heard the story. Nearby, Gerald Max Thurman, a 44year-old trucking company owner, was making a delivery at the dirt pit. He witnessed Bza’s car circling through the area. Concerned, Thurman called his nephew to tell him what he had seen, but silence was soon enforced. Shortly after the call, Miller ambushed Thurman, firing a revolver and shooting him four times in cold blood, a calculated move to eliminate the witness.

 Meanwhile, Hansen stopped the car a short distance away. He dragged Mary BS out and shot her multiple times with a semi-automatic pistol, killing her instantly. The pair partially covered her body with branches before fleeing the scene. Mary’s body was discovered a week later on September 7th, 1999. Thurman, though rushed to the hospital, succumbed to his injuries 2 weeks after the attack on September 14th.

 Just days after the murders, Hansen and Miller were arrested on September 9th at a motel for robbing a federal credit union the previous day. Police linked them to the murders when investigators found their fingerprints on Bza’s car and discovered two guns wrapped in plastic, a 38 revolver, and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol believed to be the murder weapons.

 Along with murder charges, Hansen and Miller faced federal charges for multiple unrelated robberies committed before and after these tragic killings. After their arrest for the Federal Credit Union robbery, George John Hansen and Victor Miller faced serious consequences for their crimes. Both men were charged and convicted in separate trials for the murders of Mary BS and Gerald Max Thurman.

 Hansen’s trial ended with a death sentence for BS’s murder and life without parole for Thurman’s murder. Miller, initially also sentenced to death, fought back through multiple appeals. His efforts paid off when in 2013 and again in 2015, courts reentenced him to life without parole for both murders.

 In addition to the murder charges, Hansen was convicted federally for robbing the credit union, serving a concurrent life sentence in a Louisiana federal prison. Hansen’s execution was first scheduled for December 15th, 2022, but political shifts affected his case. Under the Biden administration, federal authorities refused to transfer him from the USP Pollock Prison in Louisiana to Oklahoma for execution.

 However, in 2025, following an order from US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Hansen was transferred to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Now, his execution is set for June 12th, 2025. In the years following the horrifying murders of Mary BS and Gerald Max Thurman, the wheels of justice began to turn, but the path was anything but straightforward.

 Two men stood accused, George John Hansen and Victor Cornell Miller, each facing the grave charges of first-degree murder in connection with a double homicide that shook Tulsa County. George Hansen, whose criminal record already included previous convictions for robbery and assault dating back to the 1980s, was the first to face trial for the murders.

On May 18th, 2001, after nearly 5 hours of jury deliberation, the Tulsa County jury delivered a damning verdict. Hansen was found guilty of first-degree murder for both the killings of Mary BS and Gerald Thurman. The district attorney at the time, Tim Harris, made it clear that he sought the maximum punishment, the death penalty, reflecting the severity of Hansen’s crimes and the impact on the community.

 Just 5 days later, on May 23rd, 2001, the same jury returned with their sentencing recommendation. They urged that Hansen receive the death penalty for the murder of Mary BS while recommending life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the killing of Gerald Thurman. This mixed verdict underscored the gravity of both crimes, but differentiated between the two victims and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

 Despite this sentencing, Hansen’s journey through the justice system was complicated by other legal matters. Hansen was not immediately placed on Oklahoma’s death row. Instead, because of separate federal charges related to bank robbery and other offenses, he was tried in federal court and sentenced to life imprisonment.

 Consequently, he was transferred to the United States Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, where he served his federal sentence concurrently. Victor Miller’s trial followed Hansen’s, but carried its own complexities. Miller was no stranger to the criminal justice system. He had a long and checkered history with the law. In 1981, Miller had been sentenced to life imprisonment for first-degree murder in an entirely separate case.

However, after spending years behind bars, his conviction was reduced to seconddegree murder and he was released in 1997. By the time of the 1999 Tulsa murders, Miller was once again involved in serious criminal activity. After being sentenced to life in prison on unrelated federal robbery charges, Miller was extradited back to Oklahoma to face trial for the murders of Mary BS and Gerald Thurman.

 On April 17th, 2002, Miller’s trial commenced. A Tulsa County jury, after hearing the evidence and testimonies, found Miller guilty of first-degree murder on both counts. The verdict mirrored Hansen’s earlier conviction, a clear statement from the justice system that both men were responsible for the brutal crimes. 2 days later, on April 19th, 2002, Miller was sentenced to death for the murder of Mary BS and life without parole for the murder of Gerald Thurman, echoing Hansen’s sentence.

 At this point, both Hansen and Miller were sentenced to death for the murder of Mary BS and life without parole for the killing of Gerald Thurman. The parallel sentences suggested a uniformity in how justice was being served. Yet, as time passed, the legal paths of these two men began to diverge dramatically. Miller’s death sentence would eventually be overturned after years of appeals, retrials, and legal maneuvering.

 In 2013 and again in 2015, courts ruled to re-sentence Miller to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. His release from death rose sparked debate and questions about the fairness and consistency of the justice system. Meanwhile, Hansen’s death sentence remained intact through multiple appeals and legal challenges.

The trials of Hansen and Miller did more than determine sentences. They revealed the raw emotional toll of crime, punishment, and the pursuit of justice. For Mary Bolz’s family, the verdicts brought a painful mix of relief and sorrow. The brutal murder of a beloved grandmother and community figure left a void that no sentence could ever fill.

For the family of Gerald Thurman, who witnessed a crime and paid for his courage with his life, the sentences were a solemn acknowledgement of a silenced voice. Yet beyond the courtroom, questions lingered. How did two men involved in the same crime end up with such different fates? Why did Miller’s death sentence not stand while Hansen’s did? What role did legal strategy, appeals, or even the personal histories of the men play in these outcomes? After their convictions and initial sentencing, the journey for both

George John Hansen and Victor Miller was far from over. What followed were years of intense legal wrangling, appeals, and retrials that would test not only their fates, but also the intricacies of the justice system itself. On June 11th, 2003, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals delivered a surprising decision.

They vacated George Hansen’s death sentence. The court sent his case back to the trial court for re-sentencing, acknowledging procedural concerns that warranted a fresh look at his punishment. Hansen’s new trial took place 3 years later in January 2006. This retrial lasted over 2 weeks, culminating once again in Hansen being sentenced to death for the murder of Mary BS.

 Despite the reprieve, the wheels of the legal system had set a precedent. His death sentence was now subject to renewed scrutiny. But the appeals didn’t stop there. Over the following years, Hansen’s legal team launched multiple appeals attempting to overturn or reduce his death sentence. Yet time and again, his efforts met rejection.

 In April 2009, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed Hansen’s appeal. In July 2013, the US District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma refused to overturn the sentence. In August 2015, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals denied his appeal. On May 16th, 2016, the US Supreme Court refused to hear the case, effectively confirming Hansen’s death sentence.

 The repeated denials reflected the justice systems resolved to uphold Hansen’s sentence despite the numerous legal challenges. In September 2021, Hansen filed yet another appeal, which was again rejected. Not one to relent, Hansen was also among 28 Oklahoma death row inmates who filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s execution protocols.

 However, the courts dismissed the case in June 2022, ruling that Oklahoma’s death penalty laws did not violate constitutional rights. Victor Miller’s path through the appeals process was more convoluted and ultimately different in outcome. In 2004, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned Miller’s convictions and sentences.

 They ruled procedural errors warranted a new trial, granting Miller a chance to fight his charges a new. The retrial occurred in November 2008. Once again, Miller was found guilty of first-degree murder for both Mary BS and Gerald Thurman. A new jury recommended two death sentences and in December 2008, Judge Dana Keun formally sentenced Miller to death.

 But the fight was far from over. In September 2013, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals reviewed Miller’s case again and took a significant step. They commuted one of his death sentences to life imprisonment without parole and ordered a new re-sentencing hearing for the other. Before Miller’s second re-sentencing trial could proceed in November 2015, Tulsa County prosecutors made a pivotal decision.

 They removed the death penalty as an option for Miller’s case. This led to Miller receiving a second life sentence without the possibility of parole. As of 2025, Victor Miller remains incarcerated, serving life imprisonment for his role in the murders. The contrasting outcomes for Hansen and Miller raise profound questions about the criminal justice system.

 Both men were convicted of the same crimes and initially sentenced to death. Yet Miller’s sentence was ultimately commuted to life imprisonment while Hansen’s death sentence was upheld after exhaustive legal battles. Many factors contributed to these divergent paths. the procedural errors identified in Miller’s trials, prosecutorial discretion, and strategic legal decisions by defense teams and prosecutors alike.

 Additionally, Miller’s prior conviction history and the specifics of the appeals court’s rulings played crucial roles. For Hansen, despite numerous appeals and challenges to his sentence, including questioning the constitutionality of Oklahoma’s execution procedures, the legal system has remained steadfast in enforcing his death sentence.

 Beyond the legal complexities lies the human cost, the victim’s families, the community, and even the inmates themselves. For Mary Bza’s loved ones, every appeal and trial was another round of painful memories and awaited justice. For the families of Gerald Thurman, the loss was compounded by years of legal uncertainty.

 For Hansen and Miller, these legal battles defined much of their adult lives, a continuous struggle between hope, despair, and the harsh realities of punishment. After exhausting every legal appeal by 2016, George John Hansen remained confined at the USP Polic Federal Prison in Louisiana, serving a concurrent life sentence on federal charges, while Oklahoma prepared for his eventual execution.

 But his fate would soon become tangled in a web of shifting political power and legal uncertainty that delayed justice for nearly three more years. In February 2020, Hansen was identified as one of 26 Oklahoma death row inmates eligible for execution, having exhausted all possible appeals. Yet, Oklahoma’s use of capital punishment had come to a halt.

 The state was grappling with the fallout of several botched executions. A gruesome 2014 procedure gone wrong, and mishaps involving lethal drugs in 2015 had shaken confidence in the process and triggered a temporary moratorium. Despite these setbacks, Oklahoma resumed executions in October 2021, signaling a renewed commitment to carrying out death sentences.

 In July 2022, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals scheduled execution dates for 25 inmates, including Hansen, whose execution was tentatively set for December 15th, 2022. A clemency hearing was scheduled for November 9th, 2022, giving Hansen a final chance to seek mercy. However, the path to execution hit an unexpected roadblock.

 Oklahoma authorities requested federal approval to transfer Hansen from his Louisiana prison to an Oklahoma state facility for execution. The request was denied, a move widely attributed to the Biden administration’s informal moratorium on federal executions, though no direct link was officially confirmed. In response, Oklahoma Attorney General John M.

Okconor sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons in October 2022, demanding that Hansen be transferred. The legal battle culminated on December 13th, 2022, when US District Judge Reed Okconor ruled against Oklahoma’s request, stating that the Bureau of Prisons had broad discretion to deny such transfers based on public interest.

 This ruling indefinitely stayed Hansen’s execution. The situation changed drastically with the arrival of a new administration. On January 23rd, 2025, just 3 days after Donald Trump succeeded Joe Biden as US president, Oklahoma’s new attorney general, Gentner Drummond, filed another application to have Hansen transferred to Oklahoma to face execution.

 Drummond cited Trump’s executive order directing the Department of Justice to enforce the use of capital punishment, calling the prior administration’s refusal the epitome of subverting and obstructing the execution of a capital sentence. Shortly after, on February 13th, 2025, US Attorney General Pam Bondi approved the transfer request, allowing Hansen to be moved to Oklahoma.

By March 3rd, Hansen was transferred from USP Pollock to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, the designated death row facility for men in the state. On April 1st, 2025, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals set Hansen’s execution date for June 12th, 2025, closing a long chapter of delays and uncertainty. For the family of Gerald Max Thurman, the man murdered after witnessing Hansen and Miller’s crime.

 Hansen’s execution date brought both relief and renewed pain. Jake Thurman, Gerald’s son, expressed that justice was finally arriving after nearly three decades of waiting. Yet, he did not hide his disappointment at how long it took. He spoke movingly about his father, calling him his hero and friend, and noting how his own children bear a striking resemblance to Gerald, allowing him to see his father through another lens.

 The delay caused profound distress for the family. Jake revealed that when Hansen’s execution was stayed in 2022 due to federal refusal to transfer, both he and his mother were devastated. Tragically, Jake’s mother died less than 2 months later from organ failure. Jake shared mixed feelings about the legal outcomes. He felt a lack of closure that Hansen’s accomplice, Victor Miller, escaped the death penalty, but was also glad the court process was finally coming to an end.

 In a remarkable gesture, Jake also expressed forgiveness for both men who had taken his father’s life. As the execution date approached, Hansen’s legal team planned to seek clemency, requesting that his sentence be commuted to life without parole. The clemency hearing took place on May 7th, 2025. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond urged the pardon and parole board to deny clemency, stating, “It is my firm hope that any plea for clemency is denied for the man who brutally murdered 77year-old Mary BS more than 25

years ago. This murderer’s execution has been delayed for far too long. I am committed to ensuring that the BS family finally sees that justice is done for their loved one.” In a closely contested decision, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted three to two against clemency.

 This meant Governor Kevin Stit could no longer commute Hansen’s sentence, clearing the path for the execution to proceed as scheduled. The saga of George John Hansen is more than just a story of crime and punishment. It’s a reflection of a legal system influenced by politics, human emotions, and the slow grind of justice. For the victim’s families, it’s the culmination of decades of pain and hope.

 For society, it’s a reminder of the complexities inherent in capital punishment and the weighty decisions courts and communities face. If this story moved you or raised questions about justice and mercy, please like this video, comment below with your thoughts, and subscribe for more true crime stories and legal deep dives.