1. DEATH PENALTY FOR OHIO WOMEN FAIRER DEATH: EXECUTING WOMEN IN OHIO
Victor Streib
author of
FAIRER DEATH: EXECUTING WOMEN IN OHIO

2. EXECUTING WOMEN IN OHIO
THE FAIRER DEATH:
EXECUTING WOMEN IN OHIO
Stories of 4 women executed in history of Ohio
Stories of 11 women sentenced to death in current era (post 1972)
Analysis of death penalty process for women who kill

3. EXECUTING WOMEN IN U.S. ALL U.S. HISTORY (1632-present):
568 executions of girls and women
Only 3% of all executions in U.S.
Led by VA (123), MA (49), & MD (47)
CURRENT ERA (post-1972):
11 executions of women,
Only 1% of all executions in U.S.
Led by OK (3), TX (3), & FL (2)
“MONSTER” Aileen Wuornos, FL, 2002

4. HESTER FOSTER Sentenced to death Jan. 9, 1844 Executed February 9, 1844
Black woman, a prison inmate in Columbus Penitentiary
Beat to death white female inmate
Assisted by another black female
Her hanging in Columbus was attended by a drunken crowd of thousands

5. ANNA MARIE HAHN Sentenced to death Nov. 28, 1937 Executed Dec. 7, 1938
Poisoned 4 elderly men in Cincinnati
Rare serial killer
Demonized as “that German woman”
May have been covering for her son

6. DOVIE DEAN Sentenced to death Feb. 23, 1953 Executed January 15, 1954
First husband in prison for raping her daughter
Married rich farmer who lived near Owensville on farm east of Cincinnati
4 months later, she poisoned new husband

7. BETTY BUTLER Sentenced to death April 5, 1953 Executed June 12, 1954
Strangled and drowned her black female lover at lake near Cincinnati
Her defense was need to escape sexual slavery
Last woman executed in Ohio

8. ANALYZING CASES OF EXECUTED OHIO WOMEN
2 black women violently killed “less important” victims
2 white women poisoned “more important” victims
3 of 4 cases in or near Cincinnati
Last 3 cases apparently had competent defense attorneys
Why were the thousands of other women who killed in Ohio not executed?

9. LAST HALF CENTURY SINCE 1954
OHIO:
45 men have been executed in Ohio
No women executed in Ohio
NATIONALLY:
About 1,700 men executed nationally
Only 14 women executed, 1% of total

10. DEATH SENTENCES IN CURRENT ERA (post-1972)
Nationally, 159 women sentenced to death, but only 50 still on death row
11 executions; 66% reversal rate
In Ohio, 11 women sentenced to death, but only 1 still on death row
No executions; 91% reversal rate

11. BRIEF HISTORY OF OHIO DEATH PENALTY LAWS
Ohio has had death penalty since 1804
Overturned in 1972 by U. S. S. Ct. case
New statute enacted within few months
4 women sentenced under this 1972 statute
Overturned in 1978 by U. S. S. Ct. case
Sandra Lockett case
New statute enacted in 1981
Current statute in force in Ohio

12. PATRICIA WERNERT Sentenced to death on Nov
PATRICIA WERNERT Sentenced to death on Nov. 22, 1976 Now serving life in prison
She helped her husband hire a hit-man to kill husband’s mother and grandmother
Motive was to inherit victims’ estates
Death sentence reversal part of all-Ohio ruling

13. SHARON YOUNG Sentenced to death on Sept
SHARON YOUNG Sentenced to death on Sept. 30, Now serving life in prison
Extremely drunk when she murdered and robbed gay bar owner
Conviction and death sentence reversed in 1988
Reconvicted at 2nd trial and given life sentence
Eligible for parole in 2013

14. ROSALIE GRANT Sentenced to death on Oct
ROSALIE GRANT Sentenced to death on Oct. 21, 1983 Now serving life in prison
Burned her two baby boys to death as they slept
Life insurance policies just taken out
Death sentence affirmed on appeal but commuted in 1991

15. DEBRA BROWN Sentenced to death on June 18, 1985 Now serving life in prison
She and her husband killed 8 people in 6 states
Sentenced to death both in Ohio and in Indiana
Mentally retarded, abused as child, and under control of husband
Ohio death sentence commuted to life

16. ELIZABETH GREEN Sentenced to death on July 11, 1988 Now serving life in prison
Robbed and murdered elderly drug dealer
Retarded, abused, and easily manipulated
Committed crime with female friend

17. BEATRICE LAMPKIN Sentenced to death on April 26, 1989 Now serving life in prison
Hired hit-man to kill her abusive husband
Assisted by daughter who also was abused
Unsuccessfully used Battered Woman Syndrome as defense

18. DONNA ROBERTS Sentenced to death on June 21, 2003 Reversed on August 2, 2006
Helped her black lover kill her white husband
Refused to permit any defense at penalty trial
OH Sup. Ct. reversed death sentence in 2006

19. NICOLE DIAR Sentenced to death Nov. 2, 2005 Now on Ohio’s death row
Burned her 4-yr-old son to death
She had been burned badly herself at age 4
Elyria trial fully covered by Court TV
Only woman now on death row in Ohio

20. CASES OF OHIO WOMEN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Offenders: 6 black, 5 white
Victims: 5 black, 7 white
Only black women sentenced to death for killing black victims
6 of 11 women had mental disabilities
7 of 11 women did not kill victims themselves
All 11 cases from urban or suburban areas
Why were these 11 women selected to die?

21. SEX BIAS IN OHIO’S DEATH PENALTY?
Language of statutes and cases gender neutral (“any person”; “he, she, or they..”)
Statutes expressly prohibit discrimination in sentencing based upon sex of offender
Some death sentencing factors may affect men or women offenders differently
Hiring killer; child victim
Under duress; no criminal record

22. DO NUMBERS REVEAL BIAS? 486 executions in all of Ohio history
Only 4 (0.8%) were of women
45 executions in Ohio since 1954
None were of women
190 people now on death row in Ohio
Only 1 (0.5%) is a woman
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Women commit about 10% of capital crimes, receive about 2% of the death sentences, and comprise less than 1% of executions