Robert H. Macy
Robert H. Macy (July 5, 1930 – November 18, 2011) was the Democratic District Attorney for Oklahoma County, which includes Oklahoma City, from 1980 to 2001. Born in Indianapolis, he studied at Earlham College on a football scholarship, earned a degree in Geology and Religion in 1954, and later earned a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1961. He served in the U.S. Air Force, married Betty D. Hendryx in 1956, and worked with the Oklahoma City Police Department while studying law. Macy also earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis in 1977.
Governor George Nigh appointed Macy to fill the unexpired term of the previous district attorney, Andy Coats, and Macy took office on June 16, 1980. He won re-election by large margins and was unopposed in his 1998 race.
Known as “Cowboy Bob,” Macy was a roper and rancher who often wore Western attire, sometimes bringing his gun to court. He gained national attention for his aggressive prosecution of capital murder cases and served as President of the National District Attorneys’ Association in 1992–93.
A 2016 Harvard study identified Macy as one of the nation’s five “deadliest” prosecutors, noting that he sent 54 people to death row, more than any other individual DA at the time. In 2001, Macy defended the death penalty, saying it helps keep the community safe for innocent people.
His tenure was controversial. Critics, including a public defender, accused Macy of prosecutorial misconduct and of relying on questionable evidence in some cases tied to forensic analyst Joyce Gilchrist. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2002 criticized such conduct as harming Oklahoma’s justice system.
One of Macy’s notable cases was his pursuit of the death penalty for Julius Jones in 1999. Macy’s career and related footage were later featured in the 2018 documentary series The Last Defense.
Robert H. Macy died in 2011 at the age of 81.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:44 (CET).