Death row inmate James Chandler Ryder spared from execution because of mental health issues

McALESTER − A death row inmate cannot be executed for a fatal 1999 bludgeoning because he is mentally incompetent, a judge has ruled.

James Chandler Ryder was to have been the first inmate executed in Oklahoma this year. The Feb. 1 execution was called off after the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals issued a 100-day stay in December.

Pittsburg County District Judge Mike Hogan ruled Thursday after hearing conflicting testimony this week from three experts and after reviewing the inmate's prison records. Ryder, who turns 62 Saturday, did not attend the two-day hearing.

The judge found Ryder does have a factual understanding of his execution, but it is not rational.

"He is of the opinion that he will not die but the collapse of the government will allow him to go to Russia and raise a heterosexual son," the judge wrote in an 18-page order. "The Court could go on ad nauseum discussing the irrational thought processes of Mr. Ryder but that is not needed. To be clear, the Court finds by a preponderance of the evidence, Mr. Ryder is not competent to be executed pursuant to" state law.

Ryder was convicted at trial of murdering a son and mother at their home in Pittsburg County during a dispute over his belongings in April 1999.

The first victim, Sam Hallum, 38, was killed with a shotgun outside the house. The second victim, Daisy Hallum, 70, was beaten in the living room of the house, then wrapped in a shower curtain and drug outside.

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Ryder was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the fatal shooting. He was given a death sentence for the fatal beating.

Who is Oklahoma death row inmate James Chandler Ryder?

He had been hired in 1998 to take care of the Hallums' home and horses while they were away, according to testimony at his trial. He lived at their residence for four to five months rent-free in exchange for his work around the place and then left the state.

He became upset when he returned to Oklahoma and could not get back personal belongings from the Hallums. He had collected supplies in preparation for a world-ending apocalypse he believed would occur on Jan. 1, 2000. He was planning to go to Canada because he believed the Yukon was the only place he could survive.

"James has suffered from schizophrenia for nearly 40 years and has little connection to objective reality," Ryder's attorney, Emma Rolls, said after the decision. "His condition has deteriorated significantly over the years and will only continue to worsen.

“As the court concluded, executing James would be unconstitutional. We urge the State to cease any further efforts to execute him.”

Attorney General Gentner Drummond promised Thursday that the state "will continue working to restore competency so justice can be served."

The judge in his order wrote that the Department of Corrections "documented indications of hallucinations as early as 2003, with a doctor noting toilet paper being stuck in his ear, disorganized behavior such as hoarding and eating rotten foot, and negative symptoms such as poor hygiene and not showering for years."

"There were many descriptions of Mr. Ryder that support his severe mental illness, to include making outlandish comments, yelling and screaming in his cell when no one is around, not showering, acting 'weird' and 'crazy,' writing in code, ranting, trouble redirecting, presenting like a child, and having 'Alzheimers (sic) on repeat,'" the judge wrote.

Ryder is being held at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He told a psychologist that he is "likely the only heterosexual male on Earth" and his purpose is to raise a heterosexual son, according to the expert's report.

He also said he was not concerned about his execution because "there is no death," the expert reported.

"According to Mr. Ryder, 'This body will die, but my soul will go up to a better body. It will be better than this human body. Aliens are out there in better bodies. I will go into an alien body which will be better than a human body.'"

The same judge in 2022 ruled another death row inmate was competent to be executed. Benjamin Cole, 57, was executed on Oct. 20, 2022, for the murder of his baby daughter.

Oklahoma's next execution is set for 10 a.m. Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: James Chandler Ryder ruled incompetent for execution in Oklahoma