196:. However, there was little question of her guilt in the case. She was considered to be the ringleader of the group of girls, aged 14 to 16, who were all given sentences of 25 to 60 years for their roles in the crime. According to authorities, Cooper attacked guards in the juvenile center after her arrest and had to be moved to the County Jail. There, it was reported that she bragged about her crime and had said she would do it again.
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while in prison. Although she was sentenced to 60 years, Indiana law dictates that offenders earn one day off from their sentence for each day served with good behavior. She was released from
Rockville Correctional Facility on June 17, 2013, and died on May 26, 2015, following an apparent suicide.
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and asked for the death penalty. The defense presented evidence that Cooper was a chronic runaway who had been physically abused and forced to watch the rape of her mother and violent assaults by her father. The defense stated that Cooper's mother had once attempted to kill her. Cooper was found
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and various
European television programs. She was front-page news in her hometown of Gary, including a scandal where it was found that several prison guards had sex with her in her cell, and pregnancy tests were performed, which came back negative. Judge Kimbrough died, and the
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passed a bill raising the minimum age for a defendant in a death penalty case from 10 years old to 16 years old. Although the change was a reaction to Cooper's case, the legislature made it clear that the change did not affect Cooper's death sentence. In 1988, a
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before visiting Pelke, a neighbor, ostensibly to ask about Bible lessons. One of the girls struck Pelke with a vase, and cut her arms and legs. Cooper stabbed Pelke 33 times in the chest and stomach with a foot-long (30 cm)
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editorial that month called the court's decision "brave" and said that the law on which her death sentence was based was "medieval" as it allowed the execution of children as young as 10.
134:(August 25, 1969 – May 26, 2015), then aged 15, on May 14, 1985. Cooper stabbed Pelke 33 times with a butcher knife before stealing ten dollars and her car. A year later, Cooper was
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Pelke's grandson, Bill Pelke, initially favored the death penalty for Cooper but later joined the movement opposing it in 1987. He wrote of having forgiven Cooper in a 2003 book,
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148:. In 1989, her sentence was commuted to 60 years in prison. On June 17, 2013, slightly less than 27 years after her initial sentencing, Cooper was released from
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239:. Her case was taken up by attorney Monica Foster, who organized a campaign which presented an appeal signed by two million people to the
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considered both of these developments, and the court heard arguments and reduced Cooper's sentence to life imprisonment on July 3, 1989.
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Cooper's lawyers described her as a victim of abuse who had attended ten different schools by the time of the murder. She had a prior
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Cooper's age and sentence attracted an international uproar, especially in Europe, including a condemnation from
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with three friends (Denise Thomas, aged 14; Karen Corder, aged 16; and April
Beverly, aged 15), drank
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barred the death penalty for defendants under the age of 16 at the time of the crime. The
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Offender Data for Paula Cooper #864800 from the
Indiana Department of Correction web site
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534:"Historical Background" in "Paula Cooper Case Records, 1986-1989, Collection Guide"
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391:"Woman's Execution for Murder at 15 Is Barred". Associated Press. 1989-07-13.
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152:. She died on May 26, 2015 at the age of 45, following an apparent suicide.
634:"From Death Row at 16 to Suicide at 45: The Life and Death of Paula Cooper"
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The murder of Ruth Pelke and the case of Paula Cooper are the subject of
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458:"Death Sentence At 16 Rekindles Debate On Justice For Juveniles".
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James McNew portrayed Cooper as a social misfit with no hope of
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Notorious 92: Indiana's Most
Heinous Murders in All 92 Counties
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guilty, and Judge James
Kimbrough imposed the death penalty.
503:"Death Sentence At 16 Debate On Justice For Juveniles".
659:"Journey of Hope: Bill Pelke …From Violence to Healing"
607:"Ind. woman sentenced to death at 16 to leave prison"
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was slowed as a replacement was chosen. In 1987, the
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539:. Indiana Historical Society. Archived from
254:in September 1987. A separate appeal to the
518:"Pope Urges Indiana Not to Execute Woman".
564:"Topics of The Times; A Murderous Child".
404:"Girl Testifies She Had No Role In Murder"
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113:(later commuted to 60 years in prison)
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126:was a 78-year-old American living in
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19:For the unrelated art gallery, see
414:from the original on June 24, 2016
402:O'Brien, John (November 8, 1985).
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771:Violence against women in Indiana
736:1985 murders in the United States
258:received one million signatures.
632:Segura, Liliana (12 June 2015).
613:from the original on 2016-11-27
587:from the original on 2007-05-10
480:from the original on 2007-10-08
440:from the original on 2007-06-03
353:Stoner, Andrew E. (July 2007).
150:Rockville Correctional Facility
130:, who was stabbed to death by
665:. June 3, 2014. Archived from
436:. Indiana Historical Society.
261:Cooper's case was profiled on
1:
160:According to police, Cooper
579:Penn, Mary Sue (May 1995).
434:"Paula Cooper Case Records"
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746:Murder committed by minors
568:. 1989-07-17. p. 16A.
522:. 1987-09-27. p. 13A.
507:. 1986-11-02. p. A26.
462:. 1986-11-02. p. A26.
247:made a personal appeal to
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605:Evans, Tim (2013-06-16).
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16:1985 crime in Indiana, US
741:History of Gary, Indiana
583:. Sojourner's Magazine.
581:"Leaven of Forgiveness"
361:. AuthorHouse. p.
212:guilty. At sentencing,
689:Amazon.com description
315:correspondence courses
233:Indiana Women's Prison
200:Sentencing and fallout
50:; 39 years ago
766:Female murder victims
290:Indiana Supreme Court
241:Indiana Supreme Court
284:Thompson v. Oklahoma
29:Murder of Ruth Pelke
21:Paula Cooper Gallery
334:Seventy Times Seven
274:Indiana legislature
227:Cooper was sent to
83:Ruth Pelke, aged 78
474:"Prosecution page"
138:on July 11, 1986.
136:sentenced to death
751:Murder in Indiana
663:journeyofhope.org
313:and took college
217:deputy prosecutor
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245:John Paul II
237:Indianapolis
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756:1985 crimes
214:Lake County
88:Perpetrator
75:by stabbing
64:Attack type
725:Categories
698:1413419917
643:7 November
591:2007-05-26
550:2012-11-05
484:2007-05-26
444:2007-05-26
340:References
281:decision,
264:60 Minutes
252:Robert Orr
156:Background
124:Ruth Pelke
55:1985-05-14
305:Aftermath
229:Death Row
204:Cooper's
170:marijuana
611:Archived
585:Archived
478:Archived
438:Archived
412:Archived
330:Alex Mar
194:burglary
192:and for
179:Plymouth
107:Sentence
73:homicide
34:Location
673:May 27,
617:17 June
418:May 22,
243:. Pope
190:runaway
166:alcohol
96:Charges
69:Robbery
53: (
695:
369:
186:record
100:Murder
80:Victim
40:, U.S.
544:(PDF)
537:(PDF)
210:plead
188:as a
111:Death
693:ISBN
675:2015
645:2023
619:2013
420:2016
367:ISBN
143:Pope
45:Date
363:214
311:GED
235:in
231:at
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