28 January 2004 :

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry denied clemency to Hung Thanh Le, a Vietnamese national scheduled to die in the state's execution chamber, despite a pardon board recommendation to commute the death sentence. Le, 36, was now set to be executed for the 1992 slaying of fellow Vietnamese refugee Hai Hong Nguyen over a $10,000 business deal gone bad. The state's Pardon and Parole Board voted unanimously in December 2003 to recommend commuting Le's sentence, saying Le was not notified under international law he could report his case to his consulate or embassy. Henry, a Democrat, had granted a stay on the execution, originally scheduled for January 6, to consider the decision made by the parole board. Henry's office said that after reviewing the case, the governor decided to go ahead with the execution, which under Oklahoma law was scheduled to occur within 30 days. Those opposed to the death penalty have argued Le was forced into making statements that harmed his case when police, who did not provide an interpreter, interrogated the immigrant, who spoke little English.