State of Oklahoma executes man convicted of killing woman in 2005
McALESTER, Okla. (KFOR) - The State of Oklahoma executed Wendell Grissom on Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Grissom and another man broke into a Blaine County home where Grissom ended up shooting and killing Amber Matthews and injuring Drue Kopf.
In November of 2005, Matthews was visiting Kopf and her two young daughters at their home northeast of Watonga. Grissom, who showed up with a man named Jessie Johns, knocked on the door asking if Kopf’s husband was home. When Matthews said no, Grissom walked away, but came back. This time, Kopf answered the door.
"As she approached, Grissom took a couple steps away from the sliding glass door and fired his .22, breaking the glass,” a state attorney said at the hearing while presenting their case.
Grissom went inside and shot Kopf at least three times. She fought back while Matthews grabbed one of Kopf’s children and ran to a back room where her other child was sleeping. Grissom followed her and shot her in the back of the head as she protected Kopf’s two children. He would then shoot her again in the forehead while she was on the ground. Kopf escaped and got help and Grissom was later arrested.
Kopf’s victim statement comes almost 20 years after she was shot and her best friend was murdered at the hands of Grissom.
“I carry the results of your evil actions in the mental and physical scars that will never fade,” Kopf said.
On February 5, 2025, Grissom was denied clemency by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. He was executed in McAlester, Oklahoma on March 20, 2025.
“Justice has been served for Amber Matthews, her loved ones and the Kopf family. Nearly two decades ago, the individual executed today committed an act of unspeakable violence, taking the life of a young woman who was simply protecting a child,” Drummond said. “The execution of this sentence affirms our commitment to holding accountable those who commit the most heinous crimes against our citizens. While nothing can bring Amber back, I hope this final chapter brings some measure of peace to those who have waited so long for justice to prevail.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond
Grissom's attorney also released a statement Thursday.
“Today the State of Oklahoma executed Wendell Grissom, a severely brain damaged man who struggled with depression and substance abuse since he was a child. He took the life of Amber Matthews and seriously injured Dreu Kopf. Wendell always accepted responsibility for his actions and expressed genuine remorse for the pain and loss he caused these families as well as his own family.
“The Wendell Grissom who the State of Oklahoma took from us today is not the same person who committed the crimes twenty years ago. Wendell had become a deeply reflective spiritual and peaceful man who was well respected by Oklahoma Department of Corrections staff and his fellow inmates. Wendell was acutely aware each day that he stole something from the Matthews and Kopf families that he could never give back. This realization drove him to strive to be a better person. Wendell spent his final years ministering to others and sharing anything he was fortunate enough to have with fellow prisoners without the same resources and support.
“We remember Wendell as a loyal and caring friend and a devoted son and brother who has spent the past two decades trying to atone for his harmful actions in November 2005. Wendell’s execution perpetuates a cycle of pain and trauma. We hold out hope for a day when we no longer purport to advance justice by taking one life for another.”
Kristi Christopher, an attorney for Wendell Grissom