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

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

www.huffingtonpost.com

Teresa Lewis, a borderline mentally retarded woman charged with "masterminding" the murder of her husband and stepson is slated to be the first woman in almost a century to be executed in Virginia this month.

"...From the moment I met her I knew she was someone who could be easily manipulated," Shallenberger wrote. "Killing Julian and Charles Lewis was entirely my idea. I needed money, and Teresa was an easy target."

(visit the link for the full news article)

"This is one of the better examples of what is wrong with the death penalty," he said.

"Lewis took two IQ tests after the trial, one by her own expert and one by the state's expert, and she scored 73 and 70 on them, respectively. An intelligence quotient below 70 qualifies as mentally retarded according to the Supreme Court, and Lewis' tests placed her in the "borderline intellectual functioning" zone.

Though I've been known to support the death penalty, this case has obviously gone terribly wrong.

It's a horrific shame Shallenberger (the man who admitted being the 'mastermind' of these crimes) committed suicide in prison therefor making the letter he wrote inadmissible as evidence Teresa was not the 'head of the snake' controlling the murders.

The article goes on to say this woman is a 'terrific candidate for clemency'.

We can only hope and pray she's granted a chance at life.

Is there anything we here on ATS can do? Any ideas people?

peace

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 8-9-2010 by silo13]

If you feel strongly that it is an injustice to execute this woman. You can contact to Governor of Virginia, Rob McDonnell.

Virginia Governor

He has the power to give clemency.

Amnesty International has a link and a simple letter to fill out to send to the Governor also.

Amnesty International

I have faith in this Governor. If clemency is warranted he will give it.

Death penelty is useless and a barbaric notion. The DOC is just that...a department of corrections...correcting someones behavior should not include death...if they cannot be corrected into being civil, then keep them locked up for life.

In saying that, a life behind bars is not some sort of treat either.

The woman is a idiot...literally...that doesn't change my opinion either way..if I was for the death penelty, then she would qualify, but I don't subscribe to state sanctioned murder, so life behind bars with no possibility of parole seems in order.

Death penelty is an emotional response by the states legal system...the state should never have an emotional response...law should be cold, calculating, and always on point (point being correction, not extermination).

A person of faith would see the death penelty as first off what it is (murder), but also that it robs any and all people to find redemption through some sort of faith themselves....and who are we to damn others.

Contain the threat.

Although I would say that Britain could use the death penalty added to its list of sentences after a long absence, cases like this one make clear the need for better understanding of crime, and suspects than currently exists.
To be frank, sentencing this woman at all , let alone to death was in my opinion a mistake. She should have been sectioned under the mental health act for a time, then released into some form of adult care.
If the medical and psychological testing done on her post sentence had been carried out in a mandatory manner before the sentencing, then I bet you anything in the world that the death sentence wouldnt have even gotten to the table.

She seemed to be smart enough to understand that if her husband was killed she got 350k... Anyone feel bad for them? No didn't think so. We only seem to feel sorry for murderers and they seem to be labeled as victims. They are convicted by a jury of their peers. If there was doubt... she wouldn't be there. She's guilty, her victims are dead, she deserves no less.

She had her husband and stepson killed so she could collect 350k in insurance money.

She ain't dumb, she's a murderer.

EDIT: Post above wasn't there when I started to post! lol But I do agree with it!

[edit on 8-9-2010 by Jeanius]

Your efforts are noteworthy.

I hope everyone sends in some sort of correspondence to the Virginia governor.

On each and every point made so far,

I could not agree more. Too much emotion, not enough empiricism, and the absolute ending of lives, often with error and lack of evidence, even in the face of exculpatory facts that would have resulted in different convictions.

How are we better for taking life than those who have already?

If anything, only child predators should be executed. There are MORE than enough prisons and staff, thousands of collateral employees, and entire industries built around and for the support of the prison system.

We should use them properly, if that is even possible, and get our messy legal system simplified and made more realistic.

The principles of the Constitution are enough and still firmly valid today. Much like the Ten Commandments versus the Talmud, we have gone too far in the details, adding more than the original authors intended.

They didn't lack skills with ideas, principles, words, war, or politics.

Our generation should get back to those things that stand in the judiciary, and UN-codify the legal code so that sanity is once again allowed in courtrooms, and jurors are allowed to exercise the power entrusted to them.

[edit on 8-9-2010 by Copperflower]

reply to post by VAPatriot

Thanks for the links!

Here's the auto-letter IN PART (to comply with ATS rules).

I've sent a request to post the letter in whole and will do as soon as I receive the go ahead email.

In the mean time I sincerely hope those of you who read this and agree will go to the link and send off a copy themselves.

I am writing to urge you to grant clemency for Teresa Lewis, who is scheduled to be executed on September 23. I in no way want to excuse the killing of Julian and Charles Lewis, but I am deeply concerned that she was sentenced to die as the "mastermind" of a murder committed by others, despite her serious mental impairments.

Then it goes on to explain a little about her mental health and sums up at the end:

I am further concerned that the two men who actually carried out the killings received lesser sentences, and that one of them now claims to have been the "mastermind."

The prosecution's version of the crime is now under serious question, and, while the courts have failed to resolve these doubts, your powers of executive clemency are available for just such a circumstance: to prevent an unjust execution.

Please use your power of clemency to prevent the execution of Teresa Lewis.

source

peace

Originally posted by SaturnFX
The DOC is just that...a department of corrections...correcting someones behavior should not include death...if they cannot be corrected into being civil, then keep them locked up for life.

That's the big joke. There is no such thing as 'corrections' despite the newspeak naming. If there were such a thing why are prisoners once released still tracked and barred from certain activities?

The best this system can do is lessen or prevent recidivism. Which means life in prison or death for anyone convicted of anything.

I'm no fan of the death penalty. It's horrible and offensive. Not to mention it leaves no room for mistakes and lord knows we make a lot of mistakes. Especially the great lord government.

The entire legal system as it is needs a complete rebuild.

But if we're going to pretend this one works then the only thing left is life imprisonment or death for everyone convicted of anything.

The great joke of 'corrections.'

reply to post by Jeanius

Normally I might agree with you, but, in this case I can't.

This woman can't make out a shopping list without supportive help due to her psychological problems, and mental abilities.

The man who admits to needing the money himself also admits that in the moment he met Ms. Lewis he knew he had someone he could 'manipulate'.

She received the sentence of 'death' because she was said to be the mastermind, when in fact, someone else takes that label and responsibility on himself.

This woman is guilty of conspiring, of that I'm sure, but being the mastermind? No. She's just not capable of it mentally.

Thanks for your reply

peace

Letter to governor...check.

Virginia is the Mother of All States, and will surely gain our respect anew by showing good sense and decency in this case.

Lewis took two IQ tests after the trial, one by her own expert and one by the state's expert, and she scored 73 and 70 on them, respectively.
In Africa that's above average. She can qualify for a state president in e.g. Zimbabwe or South Africa, with that I can only say she is an EXPERT.

reply to post by silo13


She committed Murder,therefore, She deserves the Death penalty.

reply to post by silo13



I just read a story yesterday of a guy in AZ with an IQ around the same, who had a fight with his girlfriend, picked up their 2 year old daughter, and when she would not be quiet, decided to take her to the desert, pour gas on her, and burn her to death...while she screamed "Daddy no!"

Low IQ or not...people know what they are doing...they have their reasons. If our justice system deems what we do to be sick enough for capital punishment, then so be it. Now, if you are innocent, then yes, the death penalty has flaws...but seriously...does the guy above deserve to walk on this planet after doing what he did to a 2 year old?

fixed spelling - MS

reply to post by MarshMallow_Snake

What a chilling story.
My God...

In Ms. Lewis's case again let me emphasize - she received the death penalty because she was labeled the 'mastermind' - which clearly her psychological problems and mental aptitude proves, well, it doesn't prove anything but leaves great deal of DOUBT - something the death penalty cannot remain hand in hand with.

Also make note her accomplish makes a great show of saying HE was the mastermind and chose Ms. Lewis for her naiveté, and malleability.

peace

Oh, and the 'Daddy' in your post? I hope he fries.

reply to post by silo13


I see your point. Sometimes, I believe it is the Defense Lawyers...and the fact that they will try anything to get their client clear...no matter how absurd!

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

Have a good rest of the week

Oh, and yes, I saw the part about the guy who wrote the letter and committed suicide...maybe the woman should have her sentence reduced if there is evidence out there that she was not the mastermind. We need to be fair here and explore every angle.

b-b-b-but it's the muslims who are so barbaric! Remember the holocaust!

reply to post by silo13

One of the big problems with the system today is that we have no real way of dealing with cases like hers. There used to be separate hospital/prisons for the "insane" but for many reasons society has apparently given up on the possibility of rehabilitating anyone and just thrown the mentally handicapped in with the general prison population.

A big question in my mind is whether she knew the two murders were wrong. In many courts if the defendant knows the difference between right and wrong they are not given clemency.

A problem in releasing her, as I see it, is that she is so susceptible and malleable that the next con to come down the pike could easily induce her to commit another crime. It would be risky just to release her into society

She is essentially in isolation in prison now. I honestly don't know which is worse, solitary confinement or the death penalty.

I think she deserves some special consideration, given her handicap, but again, there is no facility available anymore to house the "criminally insane." We as a society really have no viable method of dealing with people like her.