Who was Thomas Glen Sanchez? Anthony Sanchez's lawyers claimed Oklahoma death row inmate's dad was the real killer
MACALESTER, OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma State Penitentiary death row inmate Anthony Sanchez is scheduled to be given the lethal injection on Thursday, September 21, for the rape and murder of 21-year-old OSU student Jewell "Juli" Busken in 1996.
However, his attorneys believe Anthony is not the killer of the 21-year-old.
They lay the blame on his father, Thomas Glen Sanchez.
Did Thomas Glen Sanchez kill Juli Busken?
In April 2023, a federal court judge ruled out the possibility of Thomas Glen Sanchez being the real killer saying there wasn’t “compelling evidence” to negate Anthony’s guilt and charge Glen, per The Associated Press.
Glen, who was part Choctaw, grew up in Texas. He and Anthony’s mother Gloria separated when Anthony was born.
Glen was later living with his girlfriend until his death by suicide in 2022. After his death, his former girlfriend Charlotte Beattie claimed that Glen repeatedly admitted murdering Busken, per Newsweek.
Reverend Dr Jeff Hood, who is Anthony’s spiritual advisor, said many people believed Glen was the real killer following an alleged confession.
Per KFOR, he said, “Anthony’s stepmother revealed to me that, before Glen committed suicide, on multiple instances, he had confessed to killing Julie Buskin.”
However, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond refuted the claim and castigated Anthony saying, "Instead of expressing remorse, he made the cowardly decision to try blaming the crime on his deceased father—a ludicrous allegation thoroughly discredited by DNA analysis,” per Newsweek.
He further wrote a letter to Rep JJ Humphreys, saying, “OSBI requested and received a sample of his blood from the Medical Examiner. The DNA profile developed from Glen Sanchez was not a match to the profile developed from Ms. Busken’s leotard.”
Anthony Sanchez believes his father was innocent
Despite the group’s claim that Glen Sanchez is the real culprit, the man awaiting the death penalty for the crime doesn't want to believe so.
In an interview with KFOR from his jail cell, Anthony refused to believe his father was the culprit, saying, “I love my dad, there’s no getting around that. I don’t think that he did it. I know I didn’t do it,”
Anthony said, “Nobody wants to believe their father is a monster.”
He shared with the outlet that on the fateful night, he was at his Moore home, accompanied by his family. Moreover, he believed that his father was also there in attendance.
He added, “I have 8 alibi witnesses. Not one lawyer has checked my alibi witnesses.”
Sanchez continued, “Look at the killer’s footprints. They’re a size nine. I wear 11 and a half. I cannot shrink my foot.”
Besides, the advocates with the Death Penalty Action have put forth the possibility that DNA evidence might have been contaminated.
Responding to this, Anthony added, “That’s not my DNA. It can’t be my DNA,” and asserted, “I’m saying that’s a 100% fabrication.”
“I hope it doesn’t come out to be my father,” he said, before adding, “That man come and look at me for four hours almost every month. He bought my kids clothes.”
Sanchez also said that “nobody believes that either one of us did it from our family.”
However, the witness’s picture of the suspect had a close resemblance to Glen. He said, “I do understand where everybody’s lookin’ at the pictures,” before continuing, “The picture looks just like him.”
"There’s a monster out there and that monster’s not me. I am innocent,” he added.