“It’s unacceptable for us to have this level of incarceration,” agreed Attorney General Mike Hunter. “It’s just not a good data point for the state and we’ve got to be aggressive about it.” Anthony Decker, deserves another chance. This was his first felony as adult and had no violent juvenile record.

In October of 1996, Anthony Decker, barely 18 years old, was charged and convicted of Robbery with a Firearm, sentenced to 50 years and Life for Shooting with Intent to Kill even though the victim testified that he did not shoot him. [Tr. 176] In 2017 Misty Cornforth — a witness that chose to recant her testimony identifying him as a person in the video.

The evidence was insufficient to prove Anthony acted conjointly with Larry Dillard and Mongo Mitchell. Both Co-Defendants submitted Affidavits stating that Anthony had nothing to do with this offense and admitted that Anthony did not shot the victim nor did he know that they would rob the convince store. The jury did not get to hear this.

While Anthony has been incarcerated, he has completed his GED in 1998, attended Vo-Tech for Electrical in 2011. Anthony has been a Barber since 2006. He has also studied Liberal Arts at Rose State College and been a program facilitator in the training phase I in 2007. Houses of Healing in 2008, Thinking for a Change, 2008. Faith & Character, Life Skills, in 2010, Phases and the TASK program. Anthony took vo-tech for horticulture in 2012 and CPI (computer processing information) in 2013

In 2018 Oklahoma ranked seventh in the nation for wrongful convictions since 1993, with 35 convictions being overturned since then. That is a clear-headed reason to zero in on Oklahoma as evidence that, in modern American justice, sometimes “outlaws operate inside the bureaucracy to secure criminal convictions at all costs,” as Michelle Malkin writes. Malkin tore into a “lackadaisical attitude toward matters of life and liberty (that) pervades Okie culture.” This is admittedly what has happened in Anthony’s case and he stands convicted of an offense he has not committed. 

Oklahoma has always had a tough-on-crime agenda, but moreover a for profit agenda that has fueled mass incarceration. With the stance of being tough on crime there came those cases of wrongfully convicted individuals. Although, attitudes of prosecutors also add to the high number of wrongful convictions. Anthony’s case is not like the highly publicized cases like those portrayed in John Grisham’s “The Innocent Man” in Ada and some cases involving a former Oklahoma City forensic scientist Joyce Gilchrist. And several cases from Tulsa Oklahoma but his case truly deserves relief. 

Anthony's address is:

Anthony C. Decker JR
OK DOC#: 258356

Lexington Correctional Center, P.O. Box 260, Lexington, OK 73051

Docket Summary for Anthony's case​

Application for Post Conviction in 2003​

Brief in Support 2003​

Application for Post Conviction Relief 2017​

Petition in Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals​

Order Affirming Denial of Post Conviction Relief