A Georgia woman, Kelly Gissendaner, is sentenced to die this evening at 7PM. The mother of three was convicted of plotting the murder of her husband and has been on Death Row for 17 years.
Gregory Owen, her boyfriend at the time, who actually did the killing has not spent one day on Death Row. In fact, he will be up for parole in 7-10 years. Should that make a difference? Many would say no. But to others who have experienced an unjust court system,
yes. Either way, it's worth noting.
It's also worth noting prison officials and clergy believe Gisssendaner has reformed and has helped others. Over 450 faith leaders have united in hopes of trying to save her life:
Kelly has accepted full responsibility for her involvement in the murder of her husband, Douglas Gissendaner, saying “it is impossible to put into words the overwhelming sorrow and remorse I feel … there is just no way to capture the depth of my sorrow and regret. I would change everything if I could.”
Also noting how prison officials have deep respect for Gissenberger, the faith leaders also reach out for the sake of the children.
While we can recognize and deeply sympathize with the profound grief of the parents and extended family of Doug Gissendaner, we also must attend to the ongoing grief of Kelly’s children who have already lost a father and who will experience immeasurable pain in losing another parent. In solidarity with their pleas for their mother’s life, in keeping with the value of mercy, and in hope for the good works Kelly could perform during a sentence of life without parole, we ask that Kelly’s life be spared.
Kelly Gissendaner was scheduled to be executed last week, but a winter storm interfered.
Another petition a Petition on her behalf is quickly gaining signatures social media. Hours ago the petition had 11k signatures. Currently it has 47k. The question is - will the petitions be enough and in time to save Kelly's life before the ritual of death begins?
Tom Leonard with Daily Mail writes Gissendaner will be given her last meal. She will be allowed to meet with her loved ones, a spiritual advisor, and some of her supporters.
Then, finally, watched through a glass window by a small group of the victim's relatives and local media witnesses, she will be strapped to a stretcher in a small execution chamber. At that point, she will be allowed to deliver a few sentences before she is injected with a cocktail of chemicals designed to put her to sleep painlessly and then stop her heart.
There is, however, no guarantee the process will go smoothly, given recent scandals over injections which left Death Row prisoners in agony for prolonged periods before they died.
One such
prolonged period of agony, took place last summer in Arizona. Joseph Wood received a
botched concoction of chemicals. His execution ritual dragged out for two hours. But more importantly, the time that elapsed from his first injection until his actual time of death, was just short of a full hour. During that 58 minutes, Wood was seen 'gasping and snorting' for life.
The hundreds of faith leaders add:
If the state proceeds to execute Kelly, it will be the first time in the modern death penalty era (post-1976) that Georgia has executed an individual who was not the “trigger person” — that is, the person who actually used violence in the crime.
Kelly Gissnedaner: In her own words-
Like many perpetrators incarcerated, Gissendaner was abused as a child.
The court heard how Kelly was born to a poor cotton farmer father and a mother who now works as a prison officer, and was sexually abused as a child by a string of men. They included an uncle and even her stepfather, who slept with the then ten-year-old girl for six months under the pretense of helping her get used to a new bed.
Does that make a difference? To some, the answer is yes. To others, perhaps not. Some will look at the abuse, especially those who have never experienced sexual abuse, as just an excuse. This woman's recent statements resonate with remorse, sorrow, and guilt. According to Leonard, she has spent 17 years confined to her small cell, without little interaction of inmates, having her meals slid through a small opening, and being handcuffed whenever taken out of her cell, including when taken to shower. Does she now deserve death? For many who do not believe in the death penalty, another human being should not make that decision. But tonight, her life
will be decided by another human being who may say, 'The courts have spoken.' Gissendaner's life, possibly lasting only few hours more, is now in the hands of Georgia Governor Nathaniel Deal.
Here is the petition signed by people hoping to save her life:
STOP MONDAY'S EXECUTION OF KELLY GISSENDANER