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The Case of Gaile Owens: Unequal Justice

By Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing

On January 15, 1986, Gaile Owens was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, Ron Owens, by a jury that did not have all the facts. The jury was never told about the abuse Gaile suffered at the hands of her husband nor did they know about her willingness to plead guilty for a sentence of life in prison. A review of similar Tennessee cases featured recently in the Tennessean demonstrates the disproportionate nature of Gaile?s death sentence. Over the past 25 years, six of the women in these cases have since received full probation or early parole and two others are serving life sentences but are entitled to parole hearings. Only Gaile Owens faces a death sentence after 23 years on death row.Gaile suffered abuse as a child and ultimately married a man who was also abusive...continue to full post

Full post as published by tcask:: on the road (to abolition) on March 08, 2010 (boomark / email).