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511:", and said, "...and I love you Sally. And I love you Susan. You let my kids know I went out singing Amazing Grace. And tell the Gissendaner family I am so sorry. That amazing man lost his life because of me and if I could take it back, if this would change it, I would have done it a long time ago. But it's not. And I just hope they can find peace. And I hope they find some happiness. God bless you."
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months before the murder. He further testified that
Gissendaner thought murder was the only way to get Douglas out of her life and still get the house and a payoff from his life insurance policy. During the trial, Gissendaner was discovered to have threatened witnesses and also plotted to pay a witness to commit
293:. Gissendaner had been convicted of orchestrating the murder of her husband, Douglas Gissendaner (December 14, 1966 – February 7, 1997). At the time of the murder, Gissendaner was 28, and her husband was 30. After her conviction, and until her execution, Gissendaner was the only woman on death row in Georgia.
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Gissendaner was convicted of orchestrating her husband's murder and sentenced to death in 1998, after Owen testified against her in a plea agreement in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Owen told a jury that
Gissendaner had first approached him about "a way to get rid of" her husband three
393:
A group of women who were incarcerated with
Gissendaner formed a group called the "Struggle Sisters" after they were released from prison. Gissendaner had spoken to the women through an air vent and prevented some from committing suicide, while other women tell of how Gissendaner's words encouraged
312:
Kelly married
Douglas Gissendaner for the first time on September 2, 1989. They had a baby together, lost their jobs, and moved in with Kelly's mother. Douglas joined the Army and they were sent to Germany. Kelly became pregnant by another man who later died of cancer. She and Douglas were divorced
425:
while she was in prison. Gissendaner sent
Moltmann a paper which she had written on Bonhoeffer. He was impressed with her paper, and he wrote back. After that, the two became penpals exchanging letters about theology and faith. Gissendaner completed a theological degree program through Emory
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According to sworn affidavits by friends and family members, she was molested by her stepfather and other men during her childhood and adolescence. During her senior year of high school, she reported being
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On
February 7, 1997, Gregory Bruce Owen (born March 17, 1971) hid near the couple's home in Auburn. When Douglas arrived, Owen forced Douglas into his car at knifepoint and drove him to a wooded area in
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Before trial, prosecutors offered both Owen and
Gissendaner a plea deal of life in prison and no chance of parole for twenty-five years. Gissendaner, however, rejected the plea deal.
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Gissendaner's execution was scheduled for
February 25, 2015, when a winter storm delayed it until March 2, 2015. Her execution was further delayed when one of the execution drugs (
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to spare
Gissendaner's life. Gissendaner's clemency application to the Board of Pardons included support from a number of correctional officers whom she had met while in prison.
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342:, Owen stabbed Douglas in the neck and back multiple times. When Kelly arrived at the scene moments later, the two set fire to her husband's car and hid the body in the woods.
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309:. Nine months later, her first son was born. In 1987, at the age of 19, Kelly Gissendaner married her first husband Jeff Banks. They stayed together for six months.
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390:. While in prison, Gissendaner had a conversion to Christianity. During her time in prison, Gissendaner ministered to other women living in prison with her.
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on
September 29, 2015. (Georgia is one of three US states in which the governor is not empowered to grant clemency to the condemned.)
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Gissendaner was scheduled to be executed on September 29, 2015, but was again delayed by appeals. She was finally executed by
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studies program for prisoners, run by a consortium of Atlanta-area divinity schools, including the divinity school at
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them to turn their lives around. The women released a video detailing the impact Gissendaner had on their lives.
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Kelly, in addition to her daughter with Douglas, had two sons. Douglas was the stepfather to her sons.
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in 1993. In May 1995, she remarried Douglas. In December 1996, the couple bought a house together in
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289:; March 8, 1968 – September 30, 2015) was an American woman who was executed by the U.S. state of
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715:"After long silence, Kelly Gissendaner's eldest son will plead for mercy at clemency hearing"
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906:"Former high-ranking state officials join growing chorus asking for Gissendaner clemency"
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937:"Ex-Ga. chief justice Norman Fletcher, others argue against Gissendaner execution"
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959:"Parole Board Green-Lights Execution of Kelly Gissendaner Despite Pope's Plea"
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884:"Pope Francis asks to spare life of condemned Ga. woman; state declines plea"
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in 1945, as well as the only woman executed in the United States in 2015.
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During theology studies, she became a student of Christian thinkers like
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1037:"Georgia Woman Kelly Gissendaner Sings 'Amazing Grace' During Execution"
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out of solution due to colder than recommended storage conditions.
772:"Family of Kelly Gissendaner's slain husband: Remember the victim"
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674:"Appeals Fail, Georgia Executes Husband Killer Kelly Gissendaner"
1154:
Attorney General of Georgia Official Press Releases on Execution
749:"Kelly Gissendaner Should Serve Life in Prison, Not Be Executed"
689:"Justice has different meanings for Kelly Gissendaner's family"
649:"The life of the damned: Kelly Gissendaner's path to execution"
570:"Clemency Denied, Kelly Gissendaner Nears Execution in Georgia"
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597:"Detective recounts how he put Kelly Gissendaner on death row"
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near Harbins Park. After striking Douglas in the head with a
1387:
People executed by Georgia (U.S. state) by lethal injection
833:"A Death Row Inmate Finds Common Ground With Theologians"
386:
until it was closed in 2011. She was then transferred to
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Gissendaner was born into a poor cotton-farming family.
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After being sentenced to death, Gissendaner resided in
543:
List of women executed in the United States since 1976
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Milligan, Mandi; Harris, Rodney (29 September 2015).
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List of people executed in the United States in 2015
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1367:People convicted of murder by Georgia (U.S. state)
514:She was the first woman executed in Georgia since
439:Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison
859:"The sisters who struggle for Kelly Gissendaner"
1392:21st-century executions by Georgia (U.S. state)
1006:"Kelly Gissendaner executed after 5 hour delay"
533:List of people executed in Georgia (U.S. state)
8:
498:Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison
75:Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison
1240:Executions carried out in the United States
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528:Capital punishment in Georgia (U.S. state)
468:Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles
421:. Gissendaner developed a friendship with
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798:"GISSENDANER v. The STATE, No. S00P0289"
747:Hawkins, Steven W. (25 September 2015).
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485:The board again declined to commute her
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985:"Kelly Gissendaner executed in Georgia"
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1164:Struggle Sisters and Kelly Gissendaner
831:Oppenheimer, Mark (28 February 2015).
504:, on September 30 at 12:21 a.m.
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1382:American people executed for murder
1291:Women executed in the United States
1063:"Hear executed woman's final words"
1035:Connor, Tracy (30 September 2015).
568:Blinder, Alan (29 September 2015).
402:In 2010, Gissendaner enrolled in a
1362:People from Lawrenceville, Georgia
1173:Kelly Gissendaner - #kellyonmymind
691:. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
603:. 25 February 2015. Archived from
474:, the former Chief Justice of the
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1202:Executions carried out in Georgia
647:Estep, Tyler (22 February 2015).
507:Gissendaner cried, prayed, sang "
1130:
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1082:Ford, Matt (29 September 2015).
29:
1417:20th-century American criminals
1084:"The Limits of Georgia's Mercy"
1:
886:. CBS News. 30 September 2015
857:Cook, David (15 March 2015).
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16:American criminal (1968-2015)
1182:Profile of Kelly Gissendaner
1159:findagrave match result page
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796:Supreme Court of Georgia.
203:February 7, 1997
1402:American female murderers
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476:Supreme Court of Georgia
103:(September 30, 2015
1412:Emory University alumni
1377:Executed American women
280:Kelly Renée Gissendaner
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388:Arrendale State Prison
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371:Arrendale State Prison
268:Arrendale State Prison
143:To be with another man
56:Lawrenceville, Georgia
42:Kelly Renée Brookshire
1372:Murder-for-hire cases
939:. Gwinnett Daily Post
717:. Gwinnett Daily Post
653:gwinnettdailypost.com
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369:
297:Early life and family
105:; 8 years ago
1314:Kelly Gissendaner –
1263:Kelly Gissendaner –
1016:on 30 September 2015
993:. 30 September 2015.
607:on 29 September 2015
441:, the execution site
373:, where she was held
130:(m. 1995; died 1997)
128:(m. 1989; div. 1993)
124:(m. 1987; div. 1987)
1397:American Christians
1320:September 30, 2015
1269:September 30, 2015
1224:September 30, 2015
965:. 29 September 2015
802:caselaw.findlaw.com
415:Dietrich Bonhoeffer
195:Douglas Gissendaner
182:Gregory Owen (1997)
172:(November 20, 1998)
161:(November 18, 1998)
126:Douglas Gissendaner
87:Cause of death
1330:Federal government
1308:September 17, 2014
1229:Marcus Ray Johnson
1221:Kelly Gissendaner
1187:2017-02-21 at the
916:on 20 October 2015
863:timesfreepress.com
837:The New York Times
472:Norman S. Fletcher
460:Carlo Maria Viganò
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384:Metro State Prison
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264:Imprisoned at
67:September 30, 2015
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1323:Succeeded by
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1232:November 19, 2015
1227:Succeeded by
1145:Kelly Gissendaner
1071:. 1 October 2015.
751:. Huffington Post
277:
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259:February 25, 1997
23:Kelly Gissendaner
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1334:January 13, 2021
1300:Lisa Ann Coleman
1297:Preceded by
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1093:29 September
1091:. Retrieved
1088:The Atlantic
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69:(2015-09-30)
1407:Mariticides
1357:2015 deaths
1352:1968 births
1211:Warren Hill
1041:nbcnews.com
910:11alive.com
243:Location(s)
1346:Categories
1043:. NBC News
842:October 1,
549:References
516:Lena Baker
457:Archbishop
340:nightstick
307:date raped
287:Brookshire
215:11:30 p.m.
207:1997-02-07
178:Partner(s)
122:Jeff Banks
110:2015-09-30
48:1968-03-08
1193:About.com
1137:Biography
1047:1 October
1010:WMBF News
943:1 October
920:1 October
890:1 October
868:1 October
807:1 October
755:1 October
430:Execution
119:Spouse(s)
1279:Virginia
1253:Missouri
1185:Archived
1177:Facebook
990:CBS News
963:NBC News
522:See also
487:sentence
480:Bob Barr
404:theology
378:Ministry
231:State(s)
101:Executed
1316:Georgia
1265:Georgia
1168:YouTube
1111:Portals
776:ajc.com
496:at the
356:perjury
291:Georgia
236:Georgia
220:Country
205: (
192:Victims
187:Details
108: (
362:Prison
329:Murder
139:Motive
81:, U.S.
58:, U.S.
1304:Texas
346:Trial
324:Crime
170:Death
77:near
1166:via
1149:IMDb
1095:2015
1049:2015
1022:2015
971:2015
945:2015
922:2015
892:2015
870:2015
844:2015
809:2015
783:2015
757:2015
723:2015
697:2015
660:2015
613:2015
583:2015
417:and
200:Date
64:Died
38:Born
1191:at
1175:on
1147:at
1068:CNN
500:in
284:née
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