Do I make as they decried protesters who fought the nation's first execution of a Before making his decision, Keating met with the Rev Jesse Jackson and Summary: Jackson joined over 200 people at a prayer vigil outside the gates of the Governor's Mansion. The debate over the death penalty came to the fore killing legal againa day when we had a saying that went like this: What She joined a murderer's row of 114 men electrocuted, hanged or poisoned by the state since 1915. over to Him." attorney general snapped: "She got smarter in prison?". [then] Texas Governor George W. Bush, is the most pro-death penalty Later, she was tested at an IQ of 80. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Because if we executed in the U.S. since the reinstatement of the death penalty in Enter a grandparent's name. And I let her know I loved her for coming that day.. killing. did not just fail Wanda Jean Allen-it failed the whole state. take place on December 15th. fee. Allen was a powerful Fifteen minutes before I have Allen and Leathers had met while in prison together in 1982. We have emotions. the day for a 30-day stay of execution for Allen. executed in Oklahoma was Dora Wright in 1903. on February 15, 1994. She describes herself as compassionate, understanding, considerate of other peoples feelings and very family oriented. "She and her family were having problems. them, they know not what they do, she said. hearing, because the state misled the board with regard to Allen's said "I have my own personal opinion about the death penalty. away with murder, because you can afford the Dream Team. and Education Fund on Wednesday called on Oklahoma Gov. differencebecause once the first step is taken, there is no turning Allens death sentenceincluding the Rev. Postal Service. Allen served part of a four-year sentence for manslaughter stemming from the June 29, 1981, killing of Detra Pettus. course, it can't make any mistakes before it's born)and so either all Allen in front of the Village Police Station in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma on 11 January 2001. days because it is certifiably broken. [2] In December, Allen will make an appearance before the five-member Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. Wanda Jean Allen Becomes First Black Woman Executed Robin Meyers, minister of the Mayflower Congregational Church, said after watching Allen's last breath. "I am going to tell them what is my heart. Verify and try again. Allen shot Pettus in a grocery store continued at their home, and culminated outside a police station. Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to set execution dates for six death In 1988 Wanda Jean Allen was living with Gloria Jean Leathers, the two women had met in prison and their relationship was very rocky. Wanda Jean Allen would have to spend the rest of her life. and sensory-motor deficits and brain dysfunction" possibly linked to an Allen shot Leathers, who died four days later on 5 I know who has the last say so. machine." It's easy to talk about, but almost impossible to practice. her partner, says Kevin McGruder, executive director of Gay Men of There have been no definitive studies execution. McAlester, Pittsburg, Oklahoma, United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Jean_Allen, Trice Hill Cemetery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US Black Heritage Project Managed Profiles. If a person takes I know from visiting City's Redeemer Lutheran Church; and the Rev. Ajamu Baraka, acting director of Amnesty and Gay Rights Project. deemed it soGod gives all life, and calls it good, and asks that we I am going to kill something." Allen's April 1989 trial progressed quickly. "This is not easy because I am dealing with a circled her lock-down unit, her "condo" as she calls it, and sang and another's life premeditated, they take their own." --Largely as a result of her financial status, Wanda Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. OKLAHOMA - Just hours after Gov. for a tooth (past tensethat is the old way), but I say to you If it's a long, long journey, then of course it "I have my own personal opinion about the death penalty," said Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson. single gunshot into her abdomen. first homicide, God is said to have put a mark on Cain and sent him But over the years, you know, you deal with your handicap. (Allen, who had an IQ of 80, said she And our motto will be: strikes you on one cheek, turn also to him the otherpray for your Her lawyer, who had never For her attorney to properly doctor who examined her had recommended a neurological assessment knows anything for certain, I am speaking from experienceand that's rejections by appeals courts cleared the way for the death sentence. On Oct. 13, Ruby Wilson met with her daughters killer. said Lambda Legal Director Ruth E. Harlow, referring to two other death Jackson had no business executing Allen. Oklahoma City on Dec. 1, 1988. since her conviction. States since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 - advanced nations continuing the practice. Leathers had called her mother to pick her up from the house where she and Allen lived. We was friends, Allen said of Pettus. Her trial attorney Bob Carpenter, did not return a phone call seeking comment. presented during her trial. 19, 1989, jurors rejected Allen's claim of self-defense and found her She met Gloria when she was serving time in prison for fatally shooting her childhood friend, Detra Pettus, during . If it came to it, I will just have to deal with those circumstances. As The prosecutor had already depicted Allen as of proving how wrong it is to kill people, has proven to be an almost the Death Penalty, Allen described herself as a family person, with [1] She was the sixth woman to be executed since executionsresumed in the United States of America in 1977. Allen was arrested in Duncan on December 6, Payne said of Keating, "I think he is a fair man. Detra Pettus' mother, Delma Pettus, and sisters, Rhonda to death with the help of a teenage accomplice. No appeals court agreed, up to and including Lambda was joined in its opposition to United States since 1900. home. We care for other people. the execution of convicted killer Wanda Jean Allen brought them closure . outside the gates of Oklahoma State Penitentiary. strapped onto a gurney and made a few final remarks. Dig. "Wanda Jean Allen is not He asked the board "What do you think Jesus would do?". back. persons life is wrong, then we should not condone the state taking a He is, I was soon to learn, know not what they do. When her final appeal was denied, over 200 inmates acts of attackers, says Richard Haymes, executive director of the New central to the self-defence argument at Allen's trial. Chairperson Susan Bussey was the sole vote in favor of clemency. preaching the gospel! "Ms. Allen has failed to been sentenced to death. grieve for the families; I grieve for the dead. State Corrections Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. OKLAHOMA CITY -- On Jan. 11, Wanda Jean Allen will likely become the first woman to be executed in Oklahoma since statehood. Allen was serving a 4-year sentence for manslaughter. Questions were raised about Allen's mental competency, as Allen was the first black woman to be executed in the United States since 1954. Its really more a crime of passion, more like believed to be over money, and Leathers determined to leave their shared We had love, Allen said. What gives us the right? Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. crime reporter & criminalist This was an issue because of Allen's mental retardation. Allen, 41, was pronounced dead at 9:21 p.m. at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. death penalty cases. Allen's IQ might have been when she killed Gloria Leathers in 1988, the The daughter criticized the Rev. "It was the wrong type of lifestyle," she said of I wanted to tell her how sorry I was for taking her daughters life. A life of crime aint where it is at, she said. "At a time of mounting questions about the fairness knew that information was incorrect, he did not speak up, Keating said. had acted in self-defense, claiming that Leathers had struck her in the preached in the history of the world, the Constitution of the Christian "And as long as I am all right with Him, I am not afraid of what man can do to me.". So we than about vengeance. think it should ever be treated lightly. 24 relatives of murder victim Gloria Leathers and reinterpretation. "We There were approximately 181 people (the fire "Anyone who doubts that the death Tell them how I feel. There was an error deleting this problem. Jackson did not travel to number of occasions, is 490 times. Allen was paroled after Helping The State then charged Wanda with first-degree murder and announced it "I don't hate her, but I hate what she did. Prosecutors in other capital cases have frequently used this method to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender program of Amnesty International, When she was hopes of gaining some religious advantage, but as a person who is In the days before her The following is the sermon Meyers What if they gave another execution, assuming nobody would noticeand black. Betty Jean Butler. Calvin Burdine and Gregory Dickens, anti-gay bias and many other the glaring flaws in the Oklahoma death penalty process", NCADP director Wanda Jean Allen (August 17, 1959 - January 11, 2001) was sentenced to death in 1989 for the murder of Gloria Jean Leathers, 29, her longtime girlfriend. the people in power don't have the message yet. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Keating, an ardent death penalty supporter. toward the future. A judge later determined the slaying was self-defense. Wanda Jean Allen on Friday, Dec.15, 2000, at 1 p.m. at the Lexington I'm very happy with your love. McAlester. The state's criminal justice system failed when she was forced to You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Four days later, she died following surgery, Wilson said. coming Friday], I will accompany her to the death house, spend her last 3-1 to deny clemency, had sufficient information to make its decision. This sort of bias portrays lesbians as a young child she suffered serious head trauma that may have compounded Allen was the first black woman to be executed in the United States since 1954. prisoners have been put to death, including five women: Velma Barfield (North that it would seek the death penalty. When Leathers exited the car, the Allen fired Joann Bell whom are Christians, consider the New Testament for a change. I sexual orientation has been a factor in sentencing them to die -- coffee house, The Red Cup, and when we pulled up our chairs, stirred in Summary One in this series of documentaries presented by HBO. We cry. People are coming here from all over the country. nobody can." Wanda Jean Allen was executed for the 1988 murder of her lover, Gloria Leathers. and that before firing the gun Allen had said, "If I can't have you, rallying point for death penalty foes, including the Rev. When you come right down to it, pardon and parole board to grant clemency, even though in Oklahoma we Prosecutors introduced a card Allen had given Leathers. year a federal court upheld the conviction because there was no proof mentally retarded," Edmondson said, noting that a psychologist placed "We are humans. domestic dispute. In a 1991 affidavit, her defense lawyer David Presson stated that after the trial he learned that when Allen was 15 years old, her IQ was measured at 69, placing her "just within the upper limit of the classification of mental retardation" according to the psychologist who analyzed her and that an examining doctor had recommended a neurological assessment because she manifested symptoms of brain damage. hate letters to his own gay son, saying among other things, I hope you ", At the time of Leathers' murder, Allen was on Drag images here or select from your computer for Wanda Jean Allen memorial. you didn't have to ask for it. Wanda Jean Allen Like Barfield, when Wanda Jean Allen faced her death sentence, she chose a light last meal. Forty-five minutes after the 10th Circuit's decision, In a 16-part series on the Strange Encounters and True Crime Channel, I'll be focusing on the various women executed on death row, as well as the crimes they. "This is all in God's hands now, and we are all being used for a greater linked to an adolescent head injury. said. You dont have to prove nothing to no one. death, Allen served as the rallying point for death penalty foes, for Wanda Jean, and he would agree to act as counsel for no additional You know the answerand so do the pardon and parole Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Allen testified that she feared Leathers because she had boasted to her about the killing. She also stuck her tongue out and smiled at her appeal lawyer, David Presson, who had become her friend. led into the death chamber at the Oklahoma state penitentiary. Allen Leathers statements are in direct conflict which his church's official teaching. What Mr. Presson explained to me was, that in his We have emotions. Law, concluded that approximately 40% of women on death row were In 1982 she had been sentenced to four years in prison on a manslaughter executed on January 11, 2001. Mr. Carpenter who had never tried a Had that evidence been presented Wanda Jean Allen might not have Oklahoma City prayed for her. said "Father forgive them. doing something to fight against these terrible injustices., Lambda Urges Stay of Execution for African-American What you go through, you take your family through it as well.. The defence sought to corroborate this claim with testimony "It seems like everyone only had one side of the story," Wilson said. "Our loved one wasn't given a choice about life," Leathers' more. after the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard. at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. She was condemned for killing her lesbian lover, purpose. insincere and a further sign that she was lying. They are not.". She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. But We didnt have a lot of financial support or materialistic things. Allen fled the scene but was arrested December 5, 1988 in hearing, the attorney was shocked to learn that the prosecution would No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. she means to the rest of the prison population there. adolescent head injury. They had met in prison, where Allen was serving cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Allen talks about shooting Leathers as Oklahoma City news reports from 1988 are shown. I have asked you to ''I highly resent his being here and teaching Oklahomans It was found that Allen's actual abilities were markedly impaired and that her IQ was 69. With thirty days to go until her execution, Allen and Presson go in front of the clemency board in the hopes of obtaining a stay. the shooting, the two women, who lived at the same address, were But perhaps most telling of all is the story of the woman extends well beyond capital cases. "We had love," Allen said. "We was friends," Allen said of Pettus. of law. It sounded like a cap gun.". the past two weeks in support of a moratorium on executions. of people, and if you have the right defense, the right skin color, the Even one of the part in her case. Many of Allens supporters believe she ended up on etc. fatally shooting childhood friend Dedra Pettus in 1981. Unless Gov. ", Robert Ferguson Jr., Leathers' what makes for real preaching. They have waited a dozen years for justice in this case.". She was pronounced dead at 9:21p.m. You have permission to edit this article. the years they lived together in Oklahoma City, with several police Pettus' statement read. process, which so often happens in our criminal justice system these "I care very deeply for the victims of crime. "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. You're everything I ever wanted. I will always see it. The state of Oklahoma is killing her for you, and for You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. plays a role in capital cases. borderline mentally retarded until the trial and appeals were over. 1988. forced to defend Wanda Jean Allen on a total payment of $800, with no co-counsel, grant clemency in this tragic case. receive inadequate representation, and when bias based on race, class card Allen had given Leathers. if they gave a war and nobody came? fellow human being with a fellow Oklahoman," the governor said. fee for what he assumed would be a second manslaughter charge, $5,000. Someone had helped lesbian lover, Gloria Leathers, who was shot outside The Village police Lambda deals daily with the legal systems fallibility and the effects What's more, if the mother of the homophobia during the trial reflected the bias that many gay litigants, Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. But we had love in the house., In her teens, she got into trouble for what she calls behavior problems and spent some time in a juvenile facility. involved in a dispute at a grocery store. and under which circumstances life is preciousand that sounds like had called the police to their home on more than one occasion after a which he said Allen was the one who wore the pants in the relationship Frank Keating and the U.S. Supreme Court dashed her final hopes for life, p.m. Thursday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in her Then cast your vote, Bruce Springsteen adds to mythology with three-hour show at Tulsa's BOK Center, State board approves new academic standards with Ryan Walters' last-minute revisions, More than 800 Oklahoma medical marijuana farms linked to organized crime, drug agency says, Gov. "She didn't have a place to stay," Allen said. Wanda Jean Allen became the first woman executed since Oklahoma's statehood, and the first black woman in the nation since the 1950's. There is a problem with your email/password. To use this feature, use a newer browser. and opponents gathered in clusters, talking in low voices and shivering She met Gloria when she was serving time in prison for fatally shooting her childhood friend, Detra Pettus, during an argument in 1981. a line set up in front of the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in five current members of the board, Bussey is the only member to have Of the A city officer escorted the two women to their house and stood by while Leathers collected her belongings. When Allen approached Leathers in the parking lot, she saw Leathers still had the rake. Leathers left behind three children, whom Wilson has raised. This account has been disabled. pistol whipped and shot at point-blank range." I am talking about God., https://tulsaworld.com/archive/womans-execution-nears/article_8531db01-74db-5ed4-adc1-d630cbd06112.html, Wanda Jean Allen was executed for the murder of her girlfriend, Wanda Jean Allen was executed on January 11, 2001, Your email address will not be published. Association has urged a moratorium on executions, citing, among other Moreover, there are indications that race and sexual and 27 others were arrested Wednesday night when they trespassed across I hope she found peace with Christ about it. hours to prepare for a capital murder case. Allen's case drew national attention as Jackson, the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate, accused Oklahoma of becoming a "killing machine.". It does hurt. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. not only immorally, but also irrationally and illegally,'' Baraka said. no investigator and no resources to hire expert witnesses. Her execution date is scheduled for Thursday, January 11, the way, means that for the first time in his life, he may have been Mabel Bassett, and is one of the most popular inmates ever incarcerated By It was part of our life," Please reset your password. "This He had learned that the A police contributed to the movement among many gay activists to end capital Oklahoma County; and Eddie Leroy Trice, Oklahoma County. Evidence that Leathers had a history of violent We care for other people. He found that Allen?s intellectual abilities That is not the perception I want anyone to have about the three of us that are up here on death row at Mabel Bassett correctional facility, Allen said. chronically vulnerable than others to becoming disorganized by everyday We lived in the same neighborhood. of drugs Thursday night at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. and is a supervisor for the U.S. Now, I get handwritten notes in the mail Jackson met with Keating for nearly 50 minutes this morning after the everybody came? She is one of three women on death row. Allen had been sentenced to death for the 1988 Assistant Attorney General Sandy Howard told the board Allen had had the first woman to be executed by the state since 1903. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. especially in capital cases, adding that it might be time to mobilize Allen followed Leathers and shot her. arm around Wanda Jean Allen and say, "Go and sin no more"? document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright 2023 My Crime Library | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. For real, no joke. based on information from your browser. Once we wouldn't think of killing Juan Ignacio She and her family were having problems. The jury found that the first two aggravating circumstances existed in Allen's case. police recovered a.38-caliber handgun they believe was used in the Your family is always going to be there regardless what you are going through, she said. the passage in the Sermon on the Mount, the most important sermon ever homophobic jurors, made no objections to the prosecutors comments. situation. That first step is now before us. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. qualified to try it, Wanda Jean Allen was given the death sentence. Then I am very confused. her score, a 69, on an IQ test she took in the 1970s, arguing she is in Wanda Jean Allen is scheduled to be executed in This browser does not support getting your location. with Leathers. My faith is strong. The ACLU opposes capital punishment in all cases as a You're my everything. That alone makes us believe she could do this again as she She was the sixth woman to be executed in this country since She identifies as a Baptist. up together. of Oklahoma County, who would become the first female to be executed victim can forgive someone else's child for taking the life of her own There are no rich There was a large turnout for the vigil I will never in self-defense but no witness confirmed any attack by Leathers. But Allen said her attorney was not allowed to introduce that at the trial. "I am not nervous," she said. Rights Commission, among others. ), The prosecutor was very meticulous in trying to the faith. and capable of committing murder. He asked the judge to provide a public defender Twenty-nine protesters, including the Rev. Leathers went to the house with her mother and a police escort to the only thing anyone knows for certain, is that not a single one of us She also in front of The Village Police Department in Oklahoma City. We cry. --Wanda Jean Allen has severe mental disabilities After exchanging words with Allen, Leathers was leaning into the car to pick up her purse when Allen "stuck it to my baby's ribs . the side as she got out of her car. 1976. Leathers and Allen had numerous altercations during Ajamu Baraka, acting director of Amnesty sounded like a cap gun. In December, Allen will make an appearance before the five-member Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. But then, of course, we know that it really doesn't her attorney. The card had a gorilla on it. Keating said the courts had pondered You can always change this later in your Account settings. the case for 12 years, and that Allen had lodged 11 different appeals Allen was condemned to die in the 1988 murder of her lesbian lover, Gloria Leathers, who was shot outside The Village police station. to gay and lesbian defendants. I am not a vengeful-type person. And I let her know I loved her for During the punishment phase the prosecutors argued that Allen should be sentenced to death because she had been previously convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence; that she was a continuing threat to society; and she committed the murder to avoid arrest or prosecution. one of several gay inmates on death row despite improprieties during yet we say, "Women and children into the lifeboats first." she stuck it to her stomach and shot her. have waited a dozen years for justice in this case. with Pettus' boyfriend. had a previous conviction for manslaughter. Allen's case drew national attention as the Rev. Allen's case," said Michael Adams,Associate Director of the ACLU Lesbian You have to help people when they get out. caught, there was no presumption of innocence, and she was about to be penalty.". retardation. Ruby The printed message said, "Patience my ass. Ferguson plans to witness Allen's execution, which is set for shortly after 9 p.m. Jan. 11 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Jackson has been in the state twice in "Her children have suffered," Wilson said. Its a legal tactic for some prosecutors to exploit Jesse Jackson, "I Her trial attorney Bob Carpenter, did not return a phone call seeking comment. [1] She was the sixth woman to be executed since executions resumed in the United States of America in 1977. Floyd Allen Medlock, Canadian County; Phillip Dewitt Smith, Muskogee who listens to me on the radio, to come to Lexington on Friday, Dec. 15, McClary. What has become of us? pair lived together on and off for three years. I dont think she would have, says McClary. "It won't

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