Teresa Lewis American Assassin Date of Birth: 26.04.1969 Country: USA

1. Biography of Teresa Lewis
2. Early Life and Marriage
3. Troubled Times
4. The Dark Plan
5. Arrest and Trial
6. The Trial and Execution
7. Final Days
8. Legacy and Debates

Biography of Teresa Lewis

Teresa Lewis, born in April 1969 in Danville, Virginia, became the 12th woman in US history to be executed since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

Early Life and Marriage

Teresa grew up in a working-class family, with her parents working long hours at a local sewing factory to make ends meet. She spent most of her days wandering the streets and enjoying herself, while her parents had little involvement in her upbringing. In her teenage years, Teresa became interested in religion and spent long hours in church praying. It was there that she met her first husband. After getting married, they settled in the same town and had a daughter named Christie Lynn Bean.

Troubled Times

However, Teresa's marriage soon fell apart, and she found herself struggling to support herself and her daughter. She worked various jobs, barely making enough to get by. It wasn't until 2000 that Teresa found employment at a sewing factory, where her parents also worked. It was there that she met Julian Lewis Jr., a widower with three children. Despite her limited options, Teresa agreed to marry Julian. They moved in together and seemed to have found happiness, but tragedy struck when their eldest son, Jason Lewis, died in a car accident. The family received compensation from an insurance company, which they used to buy a mobile home and some land in southern Virginia. A year later, their middle son received compensation for his service in the United States Army Reserve. He entrusted his father as the primary beneficiary, with Teresa as the secondary beneficiary.

The Dark Plan

This situation sparked a plan in Teresa's mind. In the fall of 2002, she met Matthew Shallenberger and Rodney Fuller, two young men, and quickly became friends with them. After a few dates and spending a night together, Teresa proposed to the young men that they kill her husband and stepson in exchange for a share of the insurance money. They agreed, and Teresa provided them with money to buy shotguns. In October 2002, when Julian's middle son visited, Teresa left the back door unlocked while listening to music in the kitchen. Once everyone was asleep, Matthew and Rodney entered the house and shot the sleeping victims several times. However, none of the victims died instantly as planned. Teresa waited, searching the house and taking her husband's money and credit cards, before finally calling for help 45 minutes later. She fled with her new accomplices.

Arrest and Trial

Medical personnel and police arrived at the crime scene to find Julian dead and his son severely wounded. Before dying from his injuries, Julian muttered that his wife knew who did it. Teresa was declared a fugitive but was caught attempting to withdraw $50,000 from her husband's credit card. During her time in custody, she confessed to her involvement in the crimes and revealed the names of her accomplices.

The Trial and Execution

During the trial, Teresa's defense attorneys argued that she had low intelligence, but her IQ test results were only slightly above the minimum threshold. Despite this, Teresa was sentenced to death, while her accomplices received life sentences. Despite numerous letters of support claiming that she had remorse and had made a mistake, her appeals for a reduced sentence were unsuccessful. Teresa was transferred to Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Virginia.

Final Days

For several months, Teresa remained in a death row cell without a cellmate or much human contact. On September 23, 2010, she had her last meal and delivered her final words, apologizing to her daughter and expressing her love. She was executed by lethal injection at 9 am that day.

Legacy and Debates

Teresa Lewis became the 12th woman executed in the United States since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. Her execution sparked debates about the fairness of the sentence and the flaws in the criminal justice system. However, these discussions could not change the outcome.