Teresa Lewis, Mentally Disabled Woman, To Be Executed In Virginia This Month (UPDATED)

I'd be willing to bet Gov. McDonnell grants clemency in this case.

It's just a terrible ordeal all around, and if the woman is indeed mentally retarded and that easily manipulated, she needs to be in a psychiatric care facility. I'm not sure which is worse though.

I may live in a state that still supports the death penalty, but I hope we show the decency to get this woman help before putting her down. I'm not a fan of capital punishment to begin with and this would have implications stretching beyond our borders.

We are free to criticize Iran for sentencing adulterous women to death by stoning (and rightfully so, freakin cave men). What would it say about us if we put a mentally handicapped, retarded, whatever floats your boat woman down. It seems like a cut and dry case of this woman not being able to distinguish right from wrong, however, I am not the D.A., so I don't have all the details.

reply to post by Jeanius


Star to you. This woman knew what she was doing and yet when it comes to saving her life, she'll do anything she can to save it.

There aren't many people who can score high on intelligence tests but anyone can score low if it's going to benefit them.

My first question is why didn't her lawyer have her take the IQ/Physcological Test BEFORE the trial and then use "mentally incompetent" as the defense?

It seems they only got the idea AFTER they lost and got the death penalty.

reply to post by indianajoe77

I was under the impression from the article she was evaluated prior to sentencing and trial - which would only make sense. I don't believe any judge is going to willingly pronounce a sentence of death without evaluating the person first.

Perhaps most importantly, this woman was sentenced to death for being the 'mastermind' in the whole affair. If she was not pegged the 'mastermind' she would have received life.

Her accomplish in the murder - the man who wrote the letter claiming to be the mastermind - committed suicide in prison. Sadly that excludes the letter from being submisable in court.

I find it interesting (horrifically so) the 'accomplice' even went on to say 'The minute I met her (Ms. Lewsi) I knew she was someone who I could be easily manipulated'. A claim that coincides with psychologists findings Ms. Lewis has psychological and emotional issues making it nearly impossible for her to create a shopping list without help from another - much less being the mastermind of a double homicide.

peace

Murderers should still fry whether they are mentally retarded or not. The point is to remove the danger to our society.

reply to post by Pryde87

Murderers should still fry whether they are mentally retarded or not.

Just murderers? Or should we add in the infirm, the old, the weak also?

The point is to remove the danger to our society.

Ahh, but she is remove from 'society' - she's in prison. Isn't that enough for you?

Doesn't ''reasonable doubt' mean nothing to you?

Because there is MORE than a REASONABLE DOUBT this woman was NOT the mastermind of the murders.

peace

reply to post by MarshMallow_Snake

Oh, and Daddy is on death row...just google him and you can read all about it. His name is Shawn Grell.

Thanks for the update - I think.
I wasn't able to read most of what I found about Shawn Grell.
Some things are just too much - I don't want those type of memories in my head.

In his case? He acted alone. Premeditated in the FACTS that he signed his girlfriends name at the day care, bought the plastic red container for the gas, then the gas, etc... Enough. That was as far as I could go, just enough info to know it was not only premeditated but he was the sole 'mastermind' of the incident.

The case for Ms. Lewis? We know she did not act alone. And - regretfully - the one who took 'credit' for being the 'mastermind' is now dead. I can only hope this information will be all that's needed for TPTB to grant her clemency.

peace

This is reminding me of the Aileen Wuornos case, a lot of people didnt think she should have been sentenced to death due to her mental state. Nick Broomfield also came to the same conclusion after interviewing her just before she was sentenced to death. We have to be careful when dealing with these type of people, especially when crime is involved. Theres a very thin line between whats right and wrong, but when a person is mentally challenged and may not have been able to control what they are doing, then that line becomes even thinner. The film 'Let him have it' is a perfect example of how a mentally challenged person can be a victim of the law and its lack of understanding when it comes to these type of cases.

reply to post by silo13


I emailed.

No person has the right to execute another person.

Save T.Lewis on the Web

Teresa does not deserve to be executed. The two men who actually did the killings were NOT sentenced to death. The judge sentenced Teresa to death because he thought she was the mastermind of the killings. But she wasn’t, and she couldn’t have been. She is on the borderline of mental retardation with an IQ just above 70, and at the time of the killings she was suffering from other disabilities that clouded her judgment. Read on. You will see why Teresa’s life should be spared.

peace

reply to post by Catch_a_Fire

Aileen Wuornos and her life story really got to me. It's one of the reasons I'm trying to help T. Lewis.
It shouldn't be connected , but, there it is.

I learned about Aileen Wuornos after she had already been executed and for whatever reason I spent a lot of time researching her case. Honestly, I've still not been able to come to the conclusion that the death penalty for this woman was justified or not. But, we're not talking about her and I don't want to derail my own thread 'going there'. Though I would like to discuss Aileen Wuornos here. Maybe you can start a thread and let me know?

From there, I heartily agree there is a very thin line that needs to be examined when dealing with these women.

Most discouraging for me is the two men who actually pulled the trigger - committed the cold blooded killings - did not receive the death penalty in the Lewis case.

In my opinion that's twisted justice.

So, I'll keep digging into the T.Lewis case and hope the Governor knows what he's about.

thanks for your reply
peace

Compelled by fairness I'll post this site of the courtroom proceedings.

Case Law Full Display

It's pretty damning - but - if you read carefully there are signs, more than enough, that if I were on the jury I'd have, not a reasonable doubt about her participation, but, her culpability and her inability to 'mastermind' the incident.

Again note the two who did the actually shooting - especially the one who said 'He just won't die' and went back and SHOT HIM AGAIN - did not receive the death penalty.

Do I want to bring up the fact T/ Lewis prostituted her daughter out to these men?
No - but there it is.

On the other hand it more than supports her physiological disorder, that she would in fact do anything to please a man. In this case the ones who did the mutual killing.

peace

I am a former "Corrections" Officer...

I have seen people that successfully faked an intelligence test to make it seem like they were retarded or mentally deprived in some way. Ive seen inmates cause events in the jail so that their lawyers could say "See, my client cant tell the difference between right and wrong".

Somebody is going to say "Well how do you know if they were faking it?"

Because they told me.

They were perfectly rational when they wanted something they didnt have. They knew if they didnt behave they had privledges taken away. They knew a pretty good amount of the legal system and case law. They knew if they took on an appearance of believing in some radical over the top religion it would look like they were crazy.

The facts remain that this woman sought out men to kill her family to collect life insurance. So she cant make out a grocery list but she can contract out murders? That just sounds rediculous! Say it out loud...Its rediculous

reply to post by BingeBob

So she cant make out a grocery list but she can contract out murders? That just sounds rediculous! Say it out loud...Its rediculous

Yes, it does. But it's also a fact and a statement made by the psychiatrist and psychologists.

By the way you misspelled rediculous, twice.

Corrections officer (*couch choke*) or no, the FACTS state a man took credit for masterminding the plan. Not only by his statements but in writing.
He admitted that the first time he met Ms. Lewis he knew she would be someone easily manipulated.
He also split the money from the dead mans pockets between himself and his friend - nothing for her.
He made reference he was in it for the cash, more times than could be counted.
He used this woman, there is no doubt of that.

Beyond those doubts?

HE SHOT THE MEN. Not only ONCE but TWICE!
He COMPLAINED to his accomplice 'He just won't die!' and went BACK IN AND SHOT HIM AGAIN.

But no, he didn't get the death penalty, and she did?

If that isn't enough 'reasonable doubt' in your mind? I guess we can all hope you'll never make it to the jury box any time soon.

peace

This is terrible and unfortunately I doubt the Governor will call it off.


To give you all a little perspective.

They have found DNA proof that people sitting in our prison system were innocent, and after years of wrongful imprisonment, still wouldn't let the "inmate" leave until they signed agreements not to sue the state.


Come on, Virginia borders Washington DC and even harbors a lot of its agencies. Langley, anyone? The Pentagon... etc.

This state is just as eat up with corruption as any of them. Or at least we deserve to raise just as much hell about it.




Edit to add, the state taking it upon themselves to kill people is wrong, end of story. Only in self-defense would I not consider it wrong, and even self-defense is a "necessary" evil of sorts. It's cheaper just to leave someone behind bars for the rest of their life too once you factor in all the lawyers' fees and everything else for everyone who sits on death row.

IMO, anyone that kills or is involved in the killing of another person Must be insane in some way..

But I do not support the death penalty simply because the possibility of killing one innocent by mistake is not worth the risk.

reply to post by silo13


Wait...You said i spelled a word incorrectly and spelled it exactly the same way i did...apparently i spelled it correctly; but if i somehow didnt spell it correctly doesnt really matter does it?

The hitman was a hired gun...the job he was hired for was to kill the husband...Since the husband didnt die one the first round of shots, he would need to finish the job to get the money...So if he didnt kill him he would be facing attempted murder charges for NOTHING. The fact that they stole the money out of the husbands wallet and didnt share with the wife is stupid to use as an argument. The wife was in it for life insurance payout not for the $15 in the guys wallet.

The hitman also wrote those statements just before he killed himself right? Sounds like a pretty good guy to hire...taking care of his client all the way down.

reply to post by CynicalM


Or maybe they're just evil.

Taking someones life in cold blood is beyond comprehension, but when a life is taken for the sole purpose of monetary gain is just plain evil.

You can't get worse than this.

Teresa Lewis, Mentally Disabled Woman, To Be Executed In Virginia This Month

Huffington Post front page now.

September 23rd... The time is nearing.

Is she innocent? No.
Did she do the actual killing?
No.
Teresa didn't pull the trigger. She didn't complain one of the victims 'Just wouldn't die" and go BACK into the room and SHOOT HIM AGAIN.

There's solid doubt of her even being the 'mastermind' - so saying the self proclaimed mastermind (who committed suicide in prison).

Again, time is drawing near folks.

What are you going to do about it?

Online clemency letter Amnesty International.

Governor of Virginia Who can grant clemency.

peace

It's too late. No stay will we issued.


Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell denies stay of execution for Teresa Lewis

RICHMOND -- Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said Friday evening that he will not spare the life of a 41-year-old woman who is set to become the first woman executed in the state in nearly a century.