Appeals court sets execution date for former soldier

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A former soldier who was convicted of killing a convenience store clerk nearly 14 years ago is scheduled to be executed July 19th. <br/><br/>Michael L. Pennington, then a soldier at

Tuesday, June 7th 2005, 6:29 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A former soldier who was convicted of killing a convenience store clerk nearly 14 years ago is scheduled to be executed July 19th.

Michael L. Pennington, then a soldier at Fort Sill, was sentenced to death for fatally shooting Bradley Thomas Grooms during a robbery at a 7-11 store.

Grooms was a store clerk there.

According to court records, Pennington shot Grooms once in the back with a sawed-off, 12-gauge shotgun on October 21st 1991.

Grooms died at the scene.

The gunman fired several other shots inside the store, most of them at a cash register in an attempt to retrieve money.

Authorities tracked Pennington to Akron, Ohio, where he surrendered.