PETITION OPPOSING THE PAROLE OF VERNA STAFFORD To the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, the Governor of Oklahoma, and all officials involved in the parole process: We, the undersigned, respectfully urge the denial of parole for Verna Stafford. Verna Stafford was convicted for her participation in two of the most horrific criminal episodes in Oklahoma history. Court records establish that she participated alongside Roger Dale Stafford and Harold Stafford in the murders of the Lorenz family and the Sirloin Stockade massacre. These crimes resulted in the deaths of nine innocent people, including children and teenagers. The victims were not statistics. They were mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and coworkers. Among those murdered at the Sirloin Stockade were teenagers who had simply gone to work and never returned home. Their lives were stolen, and their families were sentenced to a lifetime of grief. The passage of time does not lessen the severity of these crimes, nor does it erase the devastation inflicted upon the victims' families. While we recognize that redemption and personal growth are possible for any individual, parole should not be granted merely because decades have passed. The nature of the crimes, the number of victims, and the lasting impact on surviving family members remain just as significant today as they were when these murders occurred. The courts ultimately imposed life sentences for Verna Stafford's role in these events. Those sentences reflected the extraordinary seriousness of her participation in crimes that shocked Oklahoma and forever altered countless lives. Many family members have spent nearly half a century carrying the pain of these losses. Some victims never had the opportunity to grow up, build careers, marry, or raise families. The families left behind have endured birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, and funerals without their loved ones. Justice should continue to honor those victims and the suffering endured by those who survived them. Many of us believe in forgiveness, redemption, and the possibility of spiritual transformation. However, forgiveness does not erase accountability, nor does it lessen the severity of the suffering inflicted upon innocent families. Some actions carry consequences that must remain permanent. We ask that the parole board and the Governor consider not only the offender before them, but also the voices of the victims who can no longer speak for themselves, the families who continue to carry the consequences of these crimes every day and the generations behind them who continue to suffer from the grief that has trickled down. For these reasons, we respectfully request that parole be denied and that Verna Stafford remain incarcerated for the remainder of her sentence. Justice for the victims must remain the priority. Respectfully, The Undersigned