OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Robert Manger, R-Oklahoma City, released the following statement condemning the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s decision to recommend parole for Verna Stafford, who was convicted for her role in the 1978 Sirloin Stockade massacre.

"Parole, even one step closer, is not owed to Verna Stafford. Justice is owed to her victims. The board’s decision moves a convicted murderer one dangerous step closer to freedom. It disregards the brutality of these crimes, the lives that were stolen and the pain the victims’ families have carried. I began my law enforcement career the same year this massacre shocked our state. I remember like it was yesterday seeing the suspects being brought into the jail. I remember looking into their eyes and witnessing for myself the danger and recklessness that defined their character. They were as cold-blooded as they come. They preyed on nine innocent people, robbed them of their lives and left families permanently shattered.

"She can say that she changed, and she can seek repentance. In fact, I truly hope she did. But what she cannot do is steal nine innocent lives and then escape the full punishment imposed for those crimes. I am calling on the Governor to reject this recommendation. Verna Stafford should never get one step closer to seeing the light of day as a free person."

Stafford was sentenced to serve two consecutive life sentences for her role in the nine murders. She and her husband, Roger Dale Stafford, who was executed in 1995, were convicted of murdering a family of three along Interstate 35 near Purcell and later robbing an Oklahoma City Sirloin Stockade restaurant, where they stole $1500 and murdered six employees.

Stafford’s parole recommendation now goes to the Governor for final consideration. If approved, the parole would apply only to her first life sentence. She would then begin serving her second consecutive life sentence and could be eligible for parole again in 15 years.

Manger, chair of the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee, completed a 33-year law enforcement career with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.