Murder of Albert Hale

==Trial of James Coddington==

==Trial of James Coddington==

===Background===

{{Infobox criminal

| name = James Allen Coddington

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1972|3|22}}

| birth_place = [[Oklahoma]], U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|8|25|1972|3|22}}

| death_place = [[Oklahoma State Penitentiary]], [[McAlester, Oklahoma]], U.S.

| death_cause = [[Execution by lethal injection]]

| allegiance =

| motive = Robbery

| conviction = [[First degree murder]]
[[Armed robbery]] (6 counts)
[[Robbery|First degree robbery]]
[[Burglary|Second degree burglary]] (5 counts)

| conviction_penalty = [[Capital punishment in Oklahoma|Death]]

| victims = Albert Troy Hale, 73 (deceased)
Several robbery victims (alive)

| date = March 5–7, 1997

| locations = [[Oklahoma City]]

| imprisoned = [[Oklahoma State Penitentiary]]

}}

Born on March 22, 1972, James Allen Coddington came from a family of nine children, and when he was a toddler, Coddington's mother went to prison for an unspecified offence for nearly the first eight years of Coddington's life. Coddington's father, who took care of Coddington during his wife's incarceration, was reportedly an alcoholic who often put alcohol inside the baby bottles of Coddington, and he also severely abused Coddington, beating him and sometimes drawing blood. Coddington's father would often spend the money received from welfare assistance on alcohol, forcing Coddington and his siblings to live off scraps from the dumpster outside fast food restaurants. Later, Coddington's father abandoned him when he was seven, and Coddington, who was placed under foster care, gradually went astray and got addicted to drugs from a young age.{{cite news|date=August 24, 2022|title=Oklahoma governor denies clemency for death row inmate ahead of Thursday execution|work=CNN|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/us/oklahoma-death-row-james-coddington/index.html|archive-date=September 16, 2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916163823/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/us/oklahoma-death-row-james-coddington/index.html|url-status=live}}

Born on March 22, 1972, James Allen Coddington came from a family of nine children, and when he was a toddler, Coddington's mother went to prison for an unspecified offence for nearly the first eight years of Coddington's life. Coddington's father, who took care of Coddington during his wife's incarceration, was reportedly an alcoholic who often put alcohol inside the baby bottles of Coddington, and he also severely abused Coddington, beating him and sometimes drawing blood. Coddington's father would often spend the money received from welfare assistance on alcohol, forcing Coddington and his siblings to live off scraps from the dumpster outside fast food restaurants. Later, Coddington's father abandoned him when he was seven, and Coddington, who was placed under foster care, gradually went astray and got addicted to drugs from a young age.{{cite news|date=August 24, 2022|title=Oklahoma governor denies clemency for death row inmate ahead of Thursday execution|work=CNN|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/us/oklahoma-death-row-james-coddington/index.html|archive-date=September 16, 2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916163823/https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/24/us/oklahoma-death-row-james-coddington/index.html|url-status=live}} Before his involvement in the murder, Coddington has five other felony convictions from 1990 and 1991 on charges of burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.{{cite news|date=April 24, 2003|title=City man goes on trial in 1997 fatal beating|work=The Oklahoman|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/04/24/city-man-goes-on-trial-in-1997-fatal-beating/62047040007/|archive-date=September 16, 2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916163828/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/04/24/city-man-goes-on-trial-in-1997-fatal-beating/62047040007/|url-status=live}}

Before his involvement in the murder, Coddington has five other felony convictions from 1990 and 1991 on charges of burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.{{cite news|date=April 24, 2003|title=City man goes on trial in 1997 fatal beating|work=The Oklahoman|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/04/24/city-man-goes-on-trial-in-1997-fatal-beating/62047040007/|archive-date=September 16, 2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916163828/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/04/24/city-man-goes-on-trial-in-1997-fatal-beating/62047040007/|url-status=live}}

===Conviction and sentence===

A day after he murdered Albert Hale, on March 7, 1997, James Coddington was arrested for the murder of Albert Hale, and charged for the crime.{{cite news|date=March 8, 1997|title=Suspect Arrested In Slaying|work=The Oklahoman|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1997/03/08/suspect-arrested-in-slaying/62321596007/|archive-date=September 16, 2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916163825/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1997/03/08/suspect-arrested-in-slaying/62321596007/|url-status=live}}

A day after he murdered Albert Hale, on March 7, 1997, James Coddington was arrested for the murder of Albert Hale, and charged for the crime.{{cite news|date=March 8, 1997|title=Suspect Arrested In Slaying|work=The Oklahoman|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1997/03/08/suspect-arrested-in-slaying/62321596007/|archive-date=September 16, 2024|access-date=September 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916163825/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1997/03/08/suspect-arrested-in-slaying/62321596007/|url-status=live}}