Lisa Ann Coleman

Lisa Ann Coleman

An American woman executed for the murder of her friend's son.
Country: USA

Biography of Lisa Ann Coleman

Lisa Ann Coleman was an American woman who was executed for the murder of her friend's son. Born and raised in Texas, Coleman was represented by her lawyer who argued that she was being sentenced to death not for the crime she officially committed, but because of her race and sexual orientation. However, it is hard to believe this claim as Coleman was accused of a very serious crime - the brutal murder of a 9-year-old child.

Coleman had been on death row for 8 years before her execution. The victim, Davontae Williams, was the son of Coleman's friend. When authorities discovered the boy's body, they were met with a horrific sight - he was bound and severely beaten. Williams had over 250 scars on his body, indicating prolonged abuse and torture. It appeared that Coleman had also subjected him to starvation, as he weighed only around 10 kilograms at the time of his death.

On the day of her execution, Coleman received a lethal injection at approximately 6 p.m. She died peacefully, taking only one last breath. Prior to her death, Coleman had expressed her acceptance of her fate and claimed to be at peace with herself. She spent her final day playing word games with friends and was transported to Huntsville, Texas, where the execution took place.

During the execution, five of Coleman's relatives and friends, as well as a reporter, were present. However, no one from the victim's family attended. Davontae's mother, Marcella Williams, is currently serving a life sentence for her involvement in the crime. She had reached a plea deal with the prosecution, which resulted in a lesser sentence compared to Coleman's death sentence. The prosecution cited the abduction of the child as a reason for seeking the death penalty. They argued that Davontae was effectively imprisoned and unable to have visitors or go out, which led to his death from starvation.

Coleman's defense attorney, John Stickels, had previously attempted to have her death sentence commuted to life in prison. He wrote a letter to Governor Rick Perry of Texas, pleading for clemency. However, the request was denied, and the committee responsible for reviewing it unanimously rejected it. Stickels believed that Coleman was only being executed because of her race and sexual orientation. He argued that Texas was not executing her as a murderer, but as a black lesbian.

Witness testimonies were also presented during the trial, with some claiming to have seen Davontae alive, free, and happy just a few days before his death. However, the truthfulness of these statements remains unclear.

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