Execution date set in Grady County case

Saturday, March 11th 2006, 11:10 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Attorney General Drew Edmondson is asking the state Court of Criminal Appeals to set an execution date for Richard Alford Thornburg Junior in a Grady County case.

Thornburg was convicted of the 1996 murders of James Donald Poteet, Terry Lynn Shepard and Keith Alan Smith. Two other men have been convicted in the case.

The three killings occurred at Poteet's house in Alex, which was set on fire.

The defendants held a fourth man at gunpoint and forced him to shoot Donald Brent Scott, who survived the shooting.

Also convicted and sentenced to death for the murders was Glenn Anderson, whose appeal is pending with the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

Another defendant -- Roger Embry -- was convicted and received one life sentence and two sentences of life without parole.

Edmondson asked the court to set the execution within 30 days or as soon as possible.