State Pardon And Parole Board Votes To Deny Clemency For Richard Fairchild

Richard Fairchild, who has been on death row since 1996, was denied clemency Wednesday morning.

Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 to deny clemency to Richard Fairchild, who was convicted for the 1993 murder of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son, Adam Broomhall.

Advocates for Fairchild had pursued his clemency fiercely.

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Fairchild's attorney Emma Rolls said Fairchild suffered brain damage from a traumatic injury from when he was younger, and that he was portrayed unfairly during his trial by his own attorneys.

"His trial attorney had in his hand a report from a psychiatrist diagnosing Mr. Fairchild with organic brain damage." Rolls said. "Mr. Fairchild's attorney instead told the jury that Richie's behavior was explained by the fact that he was simply a mean drunk."

According to the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Fairchild knuckle boxed as a teen without adequate head protection, which permanently damaged his brain.

Rolls also said because of these injuries, Fairchild was unable to control his actions when he killed Broomhall.

"Frontal lobe damage which affects impulse control is directly related to the crime in this case," Rolls said.