OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Robert Manger, R-Oklahoma City, released the following statement after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt denied parole for Verna Stafford:

"We do not take crimes of this magnitude lightly in Oklahoma. I trusted Governor Stitt to make the right decision in this case, and he did. Several relatives of the victims reached out to me with serious concerns about this possibility for Stafford, and I listened to them. Let this be a reminder that those responsible for a massacre should not expect leniency from the state. Any forgiveness Stafford seeks must come from the victims of the family and God."

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board could reconsider parole for Verna Stafford's first life sentence in three years. Had Stitt approved parole, Stafford would have completed her first life sentence and begun serving her second consecutive life sentence.

Manger chairs the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee. He began his 33-year law enforcement career the same year the Sirloin Stockade murders occurred and was present when those responsible were booked into jail. He later served with the U.S. Marshals Service, where he helped bring numerous fugitives to justice.