DEATH PENALTY FOR OHIO WOMEN

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DEATH PENALTY FOR OHIO WOMEN Victor Streib author
of FAIRER DEATH EXECUTING WOMEN IN OHIO
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• THE FAIRER DEATH
• EXECUTING WOMEN IN OHIO
• Stories of 4 women executed in history of Ohio
• Stories of 11 women sentenced to death in
  current era (post 1972)
• Analysis of death penalty process for women
  who kill

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EXECUTING WOMEN IN U.S.

• ALL U.S. HISTORY (1632-present)
• 568 executions of girls and women
• Only 3 of all executions in U.S.
• Led by VA (123), MA (49), MD (47)
• CURRENT ERA (post-1972)
• 11 executions of women, 1984-2007
• Only 1 of all executions in U.S.
• Led by OK (3), TX (3), FL (2)
• MONSTER Aileen Wuornos, FL, 2002

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HESTER FOSTER Sentenced to death Jan. 9,
1844Executed February 9, 1844

• Black woman, a prison inmate in Columbus
  Penitentiary
• Beat to death white female inmate
• Assisted by another black female
• Her hanging in Columbus was attended by a drunken
  crowd of thousands

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ANNA MARIE HAHNSentenced to death Nov. 28,
1937Executed Dec. 7, 1938

• Poisoned 4 elderly men in Cincinnati
• Rare serial killer
• Demonized as that German woman
• May have been covering for her son

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DOVIE DEANSentenced to death Feb. 23,
1953Executed January 15, 1954

• First husband in prison for raping her daughter
• Married rich farmer who lived near Owensville on
  farm east of Cincinnati
• 4 months later, she poisoned new husband

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BETTY BUTLERSentenced to death April 5,
1953Executed June 12, 1954

• Strangled and drowned her black female lover at
  lake near Cincinnati
• Her defense was need to escape sexual slavery
• Last woman executed in Ohio

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ANALYZING CASES OF EXECUTED OHIO WOMEN

• 2 black women violently killed less important
  victims
• 2 white women poisoned more important victims
• 3 of 4 cases in or near Cincinnati
• Last 3 cases apparently had competent defense
  attorneys
• Why were the thousands of other women who killed
  in Ohio not executed?

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LAST HALF CENTURY SINCE 1954 OHIO 45 men have
been executed in Ohio No women executed in
Ohio NATIONALLY About 1,700 men executed
nationally Only 14 women executed, 1 of total
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DEATH SENTENCES IN CURRENT ERA (post-1972)

• Nationally, 159 women sentenced to death, but
  only 50 still on death row
• 11 executions 66 reversal rate
• In Ohio, 11 women sentenced to death, but only 1
  still on death row
• No executions 91 reversal rate

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BRIEF HISTORY OF OHIO DEATH PENALTY LAWS

• Ohio has had death penalty since 1804
• Overturned in 1972 by U. S. S. Ct. case
• New statute enacted within few months
• 4 women sentenced under this 1972 statute
• Overturned in 1978 by U. S. S. Ct. case
• Sandra Lockett case
• New statute enacted in 1981
• Current statute in force in Ohio

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PATRICIA WERNERTSentenced to death on Nov. 22,
1976Now serving life in prison

• She helped her husband hire a hit-man to kill
  husbands mother and grandmother
• Motive was to inherit victims estates
• Death sentence reversal part of all-Ohio ruling

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SHARON YOUNGSentenced to death on Sept. 30, 1983
Now serving life in prison

• Extremely drunk when she murdered and robbed gay
  bar owner
• Conviction and death sentence reversed in 1988
• Reconvicted at 2nd trial and given life sentence
• Eligible for parole in 2013

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ROSALIE GRANTSentenced to death on Oct. 21,
1983Now serving life in prison

• Burned her two baby boys to death as they slept
• Life insurance policies just taken out
• Death sentence affirmed on appeal but commuted
  in 1991

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DEBRA BROWNSentenced to death on June 18,
1985Now serving life in prison

• She and her husband killed 8 people in 6 states
• Sentenced to death both in Ohio and in Indiana
• Mentally retarded, abused as child, and under
  control of husband
• Ohio death sentence commuted to life

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ELIZABETH GREENSentenced to death on July 11,
1988Now serving life in prison

• Robbed and murdered elderly drug dealer
• Retarded, abused, and easily manipulated
• Committed crime with female friend

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BEATRICE LAMPKINSentenced to death on April 26,
1989Now serving life in prison

• Hired hit-man to kill her abusive husband
• Assisted by daughter who also was abused
• Unsuccessfully used Battered Woman Syndrome as
  defense

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DONNA ROBERTSSentenced to death on June 21,
2003Reversed on August 2, 2006

• Helped her black lover kill her white husband
• Refused to permit any defense at penalty trial
• OH Sup. Ct. reversed death sentence in 2006

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NICOLE DIARSentenced to death Nov. 2, 2005Now
on Ohios death row

• Burned her 4-yr-old son to death
• She had been burned badly herself at age 4
• Elyria trial fully covered by Court TV
• Only woman now on death row in Ohio

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CASES OF OHIO WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH

• Offenders 6 black, 5 white
• Victims 5 black, 7 white
• Only black women sentenced to death for killing
  black victims
• 6 of 11 women had mental disabilities
• 7 of 11 women did not kill victims themselves
• All 11 cases from urban or suburban areas
• Why were these 11 women selected to die?

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SEX BIAS IN OHIOS DEATH PENALTY?

• Language of statutes and cases gender neutral
  (any person he, she, or they..)
• Statutes expressly prohibit discrimination in
  sentencing based upon sex of offender
• Some death sentencing factors may affect men or
  women offenders differently
• Hiring killer child victim
• Under duress no criminal record

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DO NUMBERS REVEAL BIAS?

• 486 executions in all of Ohio history
• Only 4 (0.8) were of women
• 45 executions in Ohio since 1954
• None were of women
• 190 people now on death row in Ohio
• Only 1 (0.5) is a woman
• Women commit about 10 of capital crimes, receive
  about 2 of the death sentences, and comprise
  less than 1 of executions