No forgiveness: Family of Oklahoma man gunned down rejects death row inmate's pleas

Kenneth Meers practically grew up at the Root-N-Scoot convenience store in Oklahoma City. He began working there at the age of 13 and came to love it so much, he and his brother eventually bought it.

To Meers, the Root-N-Scoot was much more than a convenience store. He and the store became an integral part of the community. Meers would buy groceries for people down on their luck out of his own pocket, and every year, he held a Christmas raffle for neighborhood kids.

And then one terrible night in June 1992, the store became the site of his final moments alive.

Two men in came in to rob the store. When Meers charged them with a broom, one of them shot him in the face.

"Kenny, who was 31 at the time of his death, was loving, hard-working, had a good soul, and simply did not have a mean bone in his body," the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office said in a filing obtained by USA TODAY.

Now more than three decades after the crime, Oklahoma is about to execute Emmanuel Littlejohn for Meers' murder. Littlejohn has always maintained that while he was one of the two robbers, he was not the shooter − an argument that appeared to sway the state's parole board, which recommended clemency for him in a rare move.

Littlejohn's execution remains set for Thursday because Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt would need to approve the recommendation in order for Littlejohn's life to be spared.

As the execution nears, USA TODAY is looking at who Meers was, more about the crime and how Littlejohn is fighting the ultimate punishment.

What happened to Kenneth Meers?

Emmanuel Littlejohn and Glenn Bethany conspired to rob the Root-N-Scoot in order to pay off debts to a drug supplier, according to the attorney general's office.

Witnesses differed on who fired the single shot that killed Meers.

Clemency activists for Littlejohn point to witnesses that said the "taller man" was the shooter, referring to Bethany. The state put forward court testimony from the survivors of the robbery who identified Littlejohn as the shooter.

Bethany was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1993. Littlejohn was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.

Who was Kenneth Meers?

Kenneth Meers was the youngest of six children and grew up in southeast Oklahoma City. He loved music, his job, and skiing in Colorado, according to the state's anti-clemency packet.

His brother Bill Meers, who co-owned the Root-N-Scoot with Kenneth, told the court during Littlejohn's trial that his brother had grown attached to the store and the community surrounding it.

Their mother, Delores Meers, said in court that Kenneth would regularly support those who had fallen on hard times.

"If there was anybody in really bad need or somebody that he knew needed help, and didn't say anything to him, he would always buy them groceries," Delores said in court testimony included in the state's anti-clemency packet. "I've seen him buy kids shoes. I've seen him buy coats."

Every Christmas, she said her son would have all the area kids put their name in a box, and then he'd have a drawing to give away gifts like bicycles, TVs and stereos. "Just for the kids," she said.

The state said that Kenneth was particularly close with his mother and called her every day.

Family supports execution of Littlejohn

The Meers family spoke in support of the state executing Littlejohn.

"I believe my mom died of a broken heart," Bill Meers said during the hearing.

After his testimony, the family read a letter from Delores Meers that she wrote before her death.

"Since this all happened, it just seems as if everything has fallen apart," she wrote. "There are so many times that I just need him to talk to about everything. It just isn't right for a child to go before their parent."

Littlejohn told USA TODAY ahead of the clemency hearing that he sought the family's forgiveness.

"I've had someone kill my cousin and her baby. They were put on death row and I wanted him to be executed," Littlejohn said. "So I understand their emotions and I pray for them. But I didn't kill their son."

Bill Meers rejects the attempt, saying: "I cannot and will not forgive this man for carelessly finding Kenny's life meant nothing."