In a landmark case, Lisa Montgomery, a female convicted murderer, was executed after being found guilty of killing a pregnant woman and kidnapping her baby.
Montgomery made a defiant gesture as she faced her punishment, marking the first execution of a female federal inmate by the US government in 67 years.
The chilling incident occurred in Missouri in 2004 when Montgomery strangled 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett, before cutting the unborn child from her womb. Tragically, Stinnett succumbed to her injuries, but the baby was fortunately recovered and reunited with her family.
Having confessed to the crime in 2007, Montgomery was sentenced to death and subsequently became the sole female inmate on federal death row in the US. Despite a last-minute stay of execution, which was later lifted by the US Supreme Court, Montgomery received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, on January 13, 2021.
As per BBC News, witnesses reported a tense moment during the execution process when Montgomery's face mask was removed and she was asked if she had any last words. Defiantly, she responded with a simple "no," declining to say anything further.
Following Montgomery's death at 01:30AM, her lawyer, Kelley Henry, strongly criticized those involved in the execution, asserting that they "should feel shame." Henry further stated, "The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman. Lisa Montgomery's execution was far from justice."
Throughout her legal battles, Montgomery's defense team argued that she suffered from severe mental illness due to a lifetime of profound abuse. Her lawyers presented evidence of her troubled upbringing, alleging that she endured brain damage, sexual and physical abuse by her stepfather, and trafficking facilitated by her mother.
Marred by turbulent marriages and enduring further abuse, Montgomery's defense team contended that the violence she experienced amounted to torture. They believed she suffered from psychosis and was disconnected from reality at the time of her heinous crime.
However, Montgomery's case sparked a heated divide among the public, with human rights groups questioning the justification for her execution. On the other hand, Stinnett's family argued that Montgomery should face the death penalty, regardless of her mental health, due to the sheer brutality of the crime she committed.
The gruesome act unfolded after Montgomery befriended Stinnett online, initially bonding over their mutual love for dogs. Montgomery later visited Stinnett's residence, overpowering her and strangling her with a piece of rope before removing the baby from her womb.
Police discovered Montgomery cradling the newborn baby girl, initially claiming that she had given birth to the child the day before. However, her fabricated story quickly unraveled, leading to her confession of the murder. In 2007, she was found guilty and sentenced to death row.
Montgomery's legal team tirelessly fought to prevent her execution, leading to two postponements of her final date. The first delay was due to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by a judge's decision to halt the scheduled injection until a mental competency hearing could be conducted. Eventually, a Supreme Court ruling overturned the stay of execution, leading to Montgomery's ultimate fate.
While Lisa Montgomery's execution has brought closure to some, it has reignited discussions surrounding the death penalty and the complexities of mental illness within the criminal justice system.
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