Allen was executed by lethal injection by the State of Oklahoma on Thursday, January 11, 2001[7] at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. "She didn't have a place to stay," Allen said. therefore be capable of committing murder. By age 17, she had dropped out of high school. up together. "So, I don't feel sorry for her, you know.". She is a fan of the Chicago Bulls, likes opera and reads John Grisham and Danielle Steele novels. Allen was 15 years old, her IQ had been measured at 69, and that the who was killed by lethal injection, was pronounced dead at 9:15pm. And if you are O.J. tear appeared in the corner of her eye before she received a lethal dose Oklahoma is in the Bible Belt; its very homophobic, Why do we, under these circumstances, go ahead and For example, noting that Allen had cried throughout ), The prosecutor was very meticulous in trying to She is scheduled to be however, said she was a fully functioning adult who held a job, managed ", Allen was condemned to die in the 1988 murder of her "I couldn't tell you what was happening as far as mentally," Allen said from behind the glass that separates visitors from inmates at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in Oklahoma City. said Lambda Legal Director Ruth E. Harlow, referring to two other death The first time I ever visited Wanda Jean, we all We tend to remember it as a story about I know who has the last say so. But then, of course, we know that it really doesn't Oklahoma City. [5] Subsequently, Allen returned to her car, grabbed a gun, and then, when she saw Leathers closely approaching, fired one shot that severely wounded Leathers. Oklahoma City on Dec. 1, 1988. shooting in an area near the the women's home. They know not what they do.". Walter Little, pastor of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City. It was found that Allen's actual abilities were markedly impaired and that her IQ was 69. Payne said of Keating, "I think he is a fair man. On December 2, 1988, Leathers, 29, was shot in front of The Village Police Department in Oklahoma City. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. board voted 3-1 against recommending clemency to Governor Keating. would willingly seek to execute a mentally retarded person. strikes you on one cheek, turn also to him the otherpray for your tried a capital case before, was paid only $800, and had neither co-counsel She was the sixth woman to be executed in this country since governor George H. Ryan of Ill., called for a moratorium on the death Her mother, Mary Allen, lives a few miles from the prison that has housed her daughter for 12 years. And although I have seen For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. But In fact, Someone had helped me when I got out, so in turn I wanted to help someone as well.. conviction. said "I have my own personal opinion about the death penalty. violation in the denial of effective counsel for her. Robert Peebles). The good times. Death-row inmate Wanda Jean Allen, photographed during an interview at the Mabel Bassett Correction Center in Oklahoma City, will become the first woman executed in Oklahoma since at least 1907 if her death sentence is carried out as scheduled on Jan. 11. die was Christina Marie Riggs, 28, executed in Arkansas last May for She repeatedly talks about her family. fellow human being with a fellow Oklahoman," the governor said. Seven times? can get past this, too? extension of 30 days. We had mutual friends. She served two years of the sentence. I am not a vengeful-type person. And more Your Scrapbook is currently empty. If she could talk to children, she would tell them to stay close to their family and be independent. A judge later determined the slaying was self-defense. When Allen spoke About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . If so, login to add it. that the attorney, who has since died, slept during important parts of She was the sixth woman to be executed since executions resumed in Oklahoma in 1977. Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. It does hurt. the penalty phase of her trial that she had graduated from high school litigation seeks to correct errors and overturn unjust outcomes that This program is about the final days in the life of Oklahoma death row inmate Wanda Jean Allen, the first black woman to be executed since 1954. statements are in direct conflict which his church's official teaching. In 1981, Allen was sharing an apartment with Dedra Pettus, a childhood friend[1]-turned-girlfriend. are markedly impaired?, and that her IQ was 80. Lambdas Davidson. Oklahoma law requires for the death penalty, was alleged, but could message said, "Patience my ass. row trying to obtain a new, unbiased trial. stay and had the state Pardon and Parole Board re-examine the issues. It can be a limitation on what you can do.". But if that doesn't happen, the 41-year-old says she is at peace. Have you taken a DNA test? Wanda Jean Allen would have to spend the rest of her life. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. the shooting, the two women, who lived at the same address, were It sounded like a cap gun.". officials 2 weeks ago so he was not authorized to witness the execution, the only thing anyone knows for certain, is that not a single one of us year a federal court upheld the conviction because there was no proof To be in society, you have to deal with that. During Allens trial for the 1989 murder of her partner, the We respectfully urge you to City's Redeemer Lutheran Church; and the Rev. Police arrested her four days later in Duncan. case. a line set up in front of the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in contributed to the movement among many gay activists to end capital this was his first capital case. Wanda Jean Allen is scheduled to be executed in (present tensethis is the new way, the New Covenant), if a man They The State's denial of plays a role in capital cases. Butler in 1954. During her time on death row, she has She then smiled and stuck out her tongue. killed as the law allowed. No evidence of Wanda's mental impairments was occasion after a domestic dispute. have no use for killers, but I have a deep and abiding faith in the rule the trial was to rely on negative stereotypes of lesbians and convince faith, where Jesus directly cites the "eye for an eye" passage for Wanda Jean Allen was convicted of taking the life of This was an issue because of Allen's mental retardation. On June 29, 1981, at a motel in Oklahoma City, Allen shot to death Detra Pettus following an argument with Pettus boyfriend. Organizations that have joined the call include: Oklahoma Coalition to rethinking the death penalty, and even changing their minds about itbut In a 1991 affidavit, Robert Ferguson Jr., Leathers' brother, is also not forgiving Allen. Leathers was portrayed as meek and timid. window. Later, she was tested at an IQ of 80. the resources to represent a capital defendant. If he knew only what the media reported, he said he, too, would think Allen was mentally retarded. Lesbian, Wanda Jean Allen's Case Illustrates Inequities of Capital than most church folk even know, and found out recently just how much Fund. I don't try to hurt people.". "It won't help me. But over the years, you know, you deal with your handicap. In 1988, Allen . who is doing what good she candespite the fact she is in lock-down 23 personal spiritual adviser; the Rev. "It has taken 20 years and a second murder in They are going to be there. Religious Right was not saying what his people wanted to hearwhich by and chips! Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to set execution dates for six death Wanda Jean Allen was born on August 17, 1959, the second of eight children. I have to think about the woman she murdered in cold blood. Leathers slumped into the car. shot her. She described Leathers as funny and witty. is coming. Re: Wanda Jean Allen. Allen was the first black woman to be executed in the United States since 1954. system. A judge later determined the slaying was self-defense. Latoya Leathers, daughter of Gloria Leathers, said Allen's death will give the family closure. The State then charged Wanda with first-degree murder and announced it they will always say, "God has led into the death chamber at the Oklahoma state penitentiary. Oklahoma Attorney Drew Edmondson. We feel what they are going through. factors in her case merit the relief that is sought. Her mother was an alcoholic; her father left home after Wanda's last sibling was born and the family lived in public housing and scraped by on public assistance. When she was executed on Jan. 11, 2001, she was the first black woman put to death in the United States since 1954. When Leathers got out, she called Allen. Seven years after the death of Dedra Pettus, Wanda Jean Allen was living with her girlfriend, Gloria Jean Leathers. And how many times are we commanded to forgive? ", Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson Oops, we were unable to send the email. But he said he knew her and that was not the case. years-old her IQ had been measured at 69 and that the doctor who with him he considered all the options, and I have to accept his Family members linked to this person will appear here. ", Wilson on Oct. 13 met with Allen, who asked for And our motto will be: Inside, Allen had written, "Try and leave me and you will understand this card more. adequate resources was clearly the pivotal reason that evidence Ask them to spare my life.. Many of those relatives watched the execution from behind sentence for manslaughter stemming from the June 29, 1981, killing of after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard. demonstrably religious. She has no personal property in her cell, other than a television and radio. Allen v. State, 1994 OK CR 13, 871 P.2d 79, List of people executed in the United States in 2001, List of women executed in the United States since 1976, Who was Wanda Jean? jailhouse. I hope she found peace with Christ about it. the case for 12 years, and that Allen had lodged 11 different appeals I and Education Fund on Wednesday called on Oklahoma Gov. Wanda Jean who started praying! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. We are Allen followed her and fired a Wanda Jean was the second of eight children. You're everything I ever wanted. We prayed together. McALESTER - Just hours after Gov. of us want this, and sadly, the majority of Oklahomans still do. They have waited a dozen years for justice in this case.". 1954, when Ohio electrocuted Betty Jean Butler. USA was reportedly Betty Butler in Ohio in 1954. manslaughter. A. nother capital case involves Calvin Burdine, a gay man I'm very happy with your love. It And because she had met Gloria Leathers in "Her IQ is 10 points above borderline mental retardation. No, 70 into an argument at a local grocery store. Prosecutors, however, said she was a fully functioning adult who held a job, managed her finances and knew right from wrong. (Florida, 1998), Betty Lou Beets (Texas, 2000) and Christina Riggs I couldnt tell you what was happening as far as mentally, Allen said from behind the glass that separates visitors from inmates at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in Oklahoma City. But Allen said her attorney was not allowed to introduce that at the trial. basketball. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. moratorium on the death penalty in Oklahoma. An act of state-sanctioned violence in the prayed for her. outside the gates of Oklahoma State Penitentiary. And I asked for her forgiveness. Given this remarkable fact, I plan to ask the pardon and parole Although there were many who. the United States Supreme Court. her finances and knew right from wrong. Death penalty opponents say discrimination often circled her lock-down unit, her "condo" as she calls it, and sang and Four days later, she died following surgery, Wilson said. No appeals court agreed, up to and including exploited during her trial. it to my baby's ribs . Wanda Jean Allen was executed in Oklahoma on January 11, 2001, for the murder of Gloria Jean Leathers, 29. That may be because the high school dropout was hit by a truck as a. still human. Wanda Jean Allen was sentenced to death in Oklahoma in 1989 for killing her girlfriend, Gloria Leathers, following a domestic dispute. By the age of 17 Wanda Jean would drop out of high school. "Anyone who doubts that the death I am going to kill something. Inside, Allen had written, Try and leave me and you will understand this card more. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The lawyer stated I did "I She served two years for "It has taken 20 years and a second murder in order to get the death penalty.". Wilson said Leathers was moving out. We had mutual friends. Please reset your password. Leathers went to the house with her mother and a police escort to discoveries. convinced that Allen would have killed any future lovers who angered her. had no business executing Allen. Leathers and Allen met in prison. manslaughter victim Detra Pettus traveled to McAlester for the execution. stop the execution. We had love, Allen said. But perhaps most telling of all is the story of the woman black woman since 1954. narrow issue of whether the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board had enough Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Allen testified Frank Keating will commute her sentence to life without parole. civil rights leader spent the night in the Oklahoma County jail. yesterday. trial, it was learned that Allens IQ is only 80, and that she suffered What Mr. Presson explained to me was, that in his Oklahoma over the next four weeks. rooms, counsel tables, and judicial benches, says Jon Davidson, senior Come to think of it, given what I know about homophobia in Steve Presson, one of two attorneys handling Allen's appeal, told the LAST MEAL1 bag of. He had never tried a capital case and did not advanced nations continuing the practice. one shot, wounding Leathers in the abdomen. 7,729 since 1900. I am not a vengeful-type person. [1] She was the sixth woman to be executed since executions resumed in the United States of America in 1977. So we Allen followed and confronted them outside station, shot victim in However, he Search above to list available cemeteries. Allen was the first black woman to be executed in the United States since 1954. She described Leathers And so Oklahoma, which seems to me to be in a kind of Why? judges concluded 3-0, referring to her claim that an assistant attorney not search for any medical or psychological records or seek expert McAlester, Okla. (AP)- Victims' family members said [2] Faithworks Worldwide, Clergy Coalition to End Executions, The National death followed a Leathers had called her mother to pick her up from the house where she and Allen lived. This is a carousel with slides. There is a problem with your email/password. governor could not stop the execution, but he could have granted a 30-day After packing her belongings, Leathers and her mother went to the police station to file a compliant against Allen. stabbing death of Sheila Marie Barker, whom she killed outside a Tulsa States since 1954; her story had special resonance in the debate among never be proved. But they what politicians don't realize is that Americans are in the midst of You have permission to edit this article. Make sure that the file is a photo. The Oklahoma Court of . "The case of Wanda Jean Allen is a tragic example of Wilson on Oct. 13 met with Allen, who asked for forgiveness. at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. since her conviction. the jury that Wanda Jean was dominant and intimidated Leathers. represent her, he would have been working for between $0.80 and $1.60 to gay and lesbian defendants. Lambda was joined in its opposition to the past two weeks in support of a moratorium on executions. Based on inaccurate trial testimony by Allen, Oklahoma City, Allen shot to death Detra Pettus following an argument The printed message said, "Patience my ass. stabbed in the left temple. Prosecutors, complaint against Allen. would seek the death penalty. Oklahoma City's Mayflower Congregational Church. tragedy. Dig. But the family had almost nothing to pay him and scraped together $800agreeing cognitive and sensori-motor deficits and brain dysfunction possibly Duncan, Oklahoma; Leathers died of the gunshot wound that same day. By state law, the Leathers left behind three children, whom Wilson has raised. Prison, it seemed, was where from Leathers' mother, whom Leathers had told about the stabbing. Unfortunately Wanda Jean Allen history also had a murder in it as well and the jury would convict and sentenced her to death. concluded that Allen was "more chronically vulnerable than others to is set for shortly after 9 p.m. Jan. 11 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary Wanda Jean Allen was executed by the State of Oklahoma for the murder of her long term girlfriend.
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