September 7, 2023
Office of Governor J. Kevin Stitt
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Suite 212
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Re: Anthony Castillo Sanchez
Dear Governor Stitt,
I am Anthony Castillo Sanchez’s attorney, and I am writing to request a 60-day reprieve for Mr. Sanchez. Mr. Sanchez’s previous attorney refused to provide his legal materials tohim. He requested that Federal Judge Joe Heaton provide his file to him. He refused. Judge Heaton decided, on his own, that there were no new claims to raise. Respectfully, that is not his duty as a judge. I, as his new lawyer, have never seen what is in these boxes. Our investigator, David Ballard, was ready to take possession of the file months ago and his lawyers refused at the last minute. They also waited until the last minute to withdraw, leaving Anthony in a precarious position. We know this attorney has more than 40 boxes of materials – potentially significantly more. Our understanding is that his prior attorneys had not gone through all the materials contained in these boxes. This is unconscionable in a death penalty case. With a September 21 execution date, there simply is not enough time for me to obtain and review all Mr. Sanchez’s legal materials. This is simply a matter of fairness. Can your great state execute this man without all of evidence being reviewed and all avenues exhausted?
This case relies entirely on DNA that was found on the young lady’s leotard. It purportedly matched Anthony. However, this analysis was done when the scandalized Joyce Gilcrist was managing the Oklahoma City Police crime lab. I cannot make any assertions whether she was involved in managing Anthony’s case because I do not have the materials to say one way or the other. Her name may be somewhere on the bench notes regarding the analysis and that avenue would absolutely have to be examined and litigated.
This request is about fairness of the process. While excruciating for the Buskin family, and my heart aches for them, we must be concerned whether the process given Anthony is a fair one. Can he be put to death with evidence in boxes we have no idea what is in them? Of course, even if we had them there is simply not enough time to go through such a magnitude of paper and information and have it made sense. We do have people in place to go through the boxes if you were to be so gracious.
I will commend your actions regarding Richard Glossip. You and your attorney general have taken unprecedented, politically risky measures to keep from executing him. This must be appreciated. You also have seen to make the pardon process fairer. These things indicate to me that you believe in due process and justice.
I hope you can help us ensure Mr. Sanchez receives justice before the final disposition in his case. First, as I wrote above, I need a 60-day reprieve to deal with Mr. Sanchez’s legal materials. Second, I hope you will call for Mr. Sanchez’s prior attorney to release the legal materials in this case. Both these actions will make sure I can fight for Mr. Sanchez at the end of his life.
Thank you for considering my request.
Sincerely,
Eric Allen
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