True Crime Chronicles: The murder of two men on Grover Creek in McCurtain County in 1995 led to execution

Michael Paul DeLozier.

It was July 9, 2009, and the clock was ticking down for Michael Paul DeLozier.

At 32 years old, he faced the ultimate consequence for the heinous crimes he had committed nearly fourteen years prior. His final hours at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester were marked by the grim ritual of a last meal – a T-bone steak, french fries, and a large salad – a stark contrast to the violence that had brought him to this point.

The story of Michael DeLozier began with a chilling act of casual brutality on September 23, 1995. Orville Lewis Bullard and Paul Steven Morgan, two men seeking the tranquility of nature, were camping by the Glover River in northern McCurtain County, their temporary home a converted step-van.

Not far away, DeLozier and his companions, brothers Glenney Dale Madison and Nathaniel Brandon Madison, occupied their own makeshift camp. It was there, amidst the peaceful backdrop of the river, that DeLozier's gaze fell upon a generator at the campers' site, igniting a sinister plot.

He harbored a desire to steal it, and in a chilling escalation, he suggested a more permanent solution to any potential interference: killing the men.

That night, the plan unfolded with deadly precision. DeLozier, armed with a single-shot shotgun, and Glenney Madison, carrying a .22 caliber rifle, along with Nathaniel, descended upon Morgan and Bullard's campsite.

 Glover River in northern McCurtain County

Nathaniel Madison, later a key witness, recounted the horrific scene. DeLozier first breached the camper, unleashing a shotgun blast. Glenney Madison followed suit with a rifle shot. The trio then gathered near Morgan's pickup, where Glenney fired several more shots into the camper. Nathaniel, in a perverse attempt at false reassurance, called out for the occupants to emerge, promising no harm would come to them.

But the promise was a lie. After a tense silence, Paul Steven Morgan emerged, only to be met by DeLozier's shotgun blast to the chest. The horror wasn't over. DeLozier and Glenney approached the fallen man, and DeLozier, taking the rifle from Glenney, fired another shot into Morgan's face.

The violence complete, the perpetrators set about their grim task of plunder, loading the generator and other stolen items into Morgan's pickup, ferrying them back to their own camp. A subsequent trip back to the crime scene was aborted when headlights signaled the approach of another vehicle.

When the full horror of the scene was discovered, it was a testament to the savagery of the crime. Paul Steven Morgan's body lay burned outside the camper, while Orville Lewis Bullard's remains were found inside the charred shell of the vehicle. Morgan's pickup truck, too, had been consumed by flames.

DeLozier was ultimately convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, and the death penalty was handed down. His legal team fought to save his life, arguing that his years of methamphetamine abuse had irrevocably damaged his brain at the time of the killings.

However, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals denied these pleas, ruling that the evidence of his drug use had already been thoroughly examined and adjudicated.

As the hour of his execution drew near, DeLozier's attorneys mounted a final, desperate appeal, again citing the alleged impact of methamphetamine on his brain. But the highest court in Oklahoma rejected their plea, sealing his fate. He was the third person to be executed in Oklahoma that year.

Before the execution, DeLozier’s attorney released a statement in which DeLozier admitted killing the two men and apologized to the victims’ families. "I cannot wait to finish paying this debt I owe so I can apologize to the souls of Mr. Morgan and Mr. Bullard, and ask them to forgive me for my taking their lives,” DeLozier wrote. "To the families of my victims all I can say is I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. I hope my death will bring you some peace.”

Meanwhile, the fates of DeLozier's co-conspirators diverged. Nathaniel Brandon Madison, who provided crucial testimony against DeLozier, entered into a plea agreement with the State, receiving a lesser charge and a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation.

Glenney Dale Madison, sometimes referred to as "Bo Madison" in legal documents, faced his own justice.

He was convicted and sentenced to life without parole, ensuring that his role in the brutal murders would keep him behind bars for the remainder of his days.