SALLISAW — A victims' group wants to see three Court of Criminal Appeals judges impeached because they overturned the conviction of a man who killed two people and shot eight others.
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The group's spokesman said the judges overstepped their authority by denying Sequoyah County District Court the chance to review the case after the appeals court found Daniel Fears not guilty by reason of insanity in January.
The district court convicted Fears of first-degree murder in 2004.
"This state court is telling this community and all the victims that they don't really care,” said Roger Nix, whose mother, Patsy Sue Wells, 61, was killed. "The court is more interested in their legacy than trying to bring justice to this case.”
The group, United Victims, is looking to impeach judges Charles Chapel, Charles Johnson and David Lewis. Those judges voted for the conviction of Daniel Fears to be overturned based on insanity, while judges Gary Lumpkin and Arlen Johnson voted against it.
Nix said survivors of Fears' attack, relatives of those who died and people living in the Sallisaw area are concerned because Fears could be released if he is found to be sane and shows no danger to himself or others.
Fears, now 22, went on the shooting rampage Oct. 26, 2002.
He was convicted of killing Wells and Reba Spangler, 68, and on eight counts of shooting with intent to kill.
