Oklahoma lawmaker asks AG to revisit evidence from 1996 murder

The next person scheduled to be executed on Oklahoma’s death row is Anthony Sanchez.

Sanchez was convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 for the 1996 rape and murder of Juli Busken. Busken was a student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

According to reports, she disappeared from her Norman apartment and was later found dead near Oklahoma City.

The case went unsolved until DNA found on the victim’s clothing was linked to Sanchez.

There’s a campaign run by a group of people who say they’re out to prove Sanchez’s innocence. They’ve even produced a documentary with interviews with people close to the case.

The Free Anthony Sanchez group laid out claims that they said proves Anthony’s innocence, including a shoe print that is apparently smaller than his actual shoe size.

Sanchez claimed it was actually his father, Thomas Glen Sanchez, who killed Buskin.

OU Daily reported that his claim was disproven with a recent DNA test. The paper reported that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted new DNA tests in 2023 using a blood sample from Thomas Glen Sanchez.

OSBI said his DNA did not match evidence from the murder scene.

Still, Oklahoma Representative Justin Humphery has asked Attorney General Gentner Drummond to take another look at the case.

“While I have been a strong supporter of the death penalty in the past and somewhat reluctant to involve myself in other cases, I have completed an initial review of Anthony Sanchez’s case, and I believe there is a significant issue with the processing of DNA evidence in death penalty cases in Oklahoma. Specifically, I believe that it would be prudent to reprocess the DNA evidence in cases where there are questions about its accuracy, as this would either confirm guilt or produce reasonable doubt.” Humphrey said.

Read his full letter to Attorney General Gentner Drummond here