At Execution, Woman Comforts Dad's Killer

M c A L E S T E R, Okla., May 27 -- As convicted murderer Robert Knighton was put to death this evening, the witnesses included his only friend, Sue Norton — the daughter of one of his victims.

Shortly after receiving an injection, Knighton, 62, was pronounced dead at 6:32 p.m., prison officials said.

He had been sentenced to death for the murders of Norton's adopted father, Richard Denney, 62, and Denney's wife, Virginia, 64. The Denneys were killed in their rural Oklahoma farmhouse on Jan. 8, 1990.

Norton said she forgave Knighton 12 years ago. She even testified on his behalf last week at a clemency hearing, where the state Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-0 against sparing his life.

Norton, who lives in Arkansas City, Kan., spent the last few days visiting Knighton at the McAlester death house.

"When I forgave Robert Knighton, it was not intended that I would befriend him and become his best friend," Norton said before the execution. "But, you know, just as time went on, that's what happened."

But Norton's forgiving nature almost cost her a sister. Maudie Nichols, Denney's biological daughter, said she believed Knighton deserved to die for his crimes. She refused to speak to Norton for two years after her sister forgave their father's killer.

Nichols also planned to attend the execution. She said earlier that she and Norton had agreed to disagree about Knighton's fate.

"We decided we didn't like not seeing each other, so we came to an agreement," Nichols said. "We just don't talk about the case."

Knighton ‘Accepted God as His Savior’

Norton said she and Knighton did not talk about the case in the days before his death. Instead, they spent his last moments talking about God and faith.

"You know, we've talked about the years in the past, but mainly right now we're focusing on what's going to happen after death," Norton said before the execution. "You know, when Robert Knighton accepted God as his savior … his life has changed."

Before Knighton was sentenced to death for the Denney killings, he served 17 years in a Missouri prison for manslaughter, kidnapping and robbery.