Donald Groves

Donald Groves is a fictional character on the HBO prison drama Oz, played by Sean Whitesell.

Character overview

Prisoner 97G414. Convicted July 3, 1997 - Two counts of Murder in the first degree. Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole. Convicted later August 21, 1997 - One count of Murder in the first degree in connection with death of corrections officer Lawrence Smith. Sentence: Death.

In the series, Groves is serving a life sentence for killing both of his parents. He then ate his mother and "was saving his father for Thanksgiving." He is transferred to Em City at the request of Tim McManus against the objections of Warden Glynn. Glynn eventually agrees, on the condition that McManus take Paul Markstrom as well (Markstrom, unbeknownst to McManus, is an undercover cop.)

Although he is feared by most of the inmates in Oz, he seems to be quite amiable and develops friendships with Bob Rebadow, Miguel Alvarez, and Scott Ross.

Season 1

When Groves first arrives in Em City, he is sponsored by Bob Rebadow and licks Rebadow's hand.

He is usually the comic relief throughout the series; he is almost always in trouble for sneaking into the morgue and going to the prison chapel so he can "eat God" by receiving the Eucharist. Despite being young, white and introverted, qualities that invite abuse in prison, Groves is left alone due to the other prisoners' fear of his crime and lack of remorse. One night in his cell, he tells his cellmate Miguel Alvarez that he was going to murder Glynn, but he ends up killing Officer Lawrence Smith, who dies saving Glynn. He is then sentenced to death and transferred to death row. A gang of COs led by Eddie Hunt, angered about Smith's death, take it out on the other inmates by randomly attacking them. This results in several officers being temporarily suspended at McManus' request.

Groves says that his attempt on Glynn's life wasn't personal, but something that needed to be done on behalf of the prisoners. He chooses to be executed by a firing squad. While Groves is on death row, he is visited by Smith's mother, who tells Groves that she forgives him for killing her son, which moves Groves to tears. Before his execution, Groves asks Father Ray Mukada to record his last words for Smith's mother, but nobody could make out his last words and he dies before Mukada can find out what he said.

References