Wanda Jean Allen African American woman sentenced to death for murder Date of Birth: 17.08.1959 Country: USA

1. Biography of Wanda Jean Allen
2. First Murder and Imprisonment
3. Second Murder and Death Sentence
4. Death Sentence and Execution

Biography of Wanda Jean Allen

Wanda Jean Allen was born on August 17, 1959. She was the second of eight children, raised in a government-subsidized apartment by her alcoholic mother after her father left following the birth of their youngest child. When Wanda was 12 years old, she was hit by a truck, and at the age of 14 or 15, she was stabbed in the left temple. At 17, she dropped out of school. Mental evaluations determined that her cognitive abilities were severely impaired, with an IQ not exceeding 69. Particularly affected was her left hemisphere, which impacted her understanding, logical expression, and ability to analyze cause-effect relationships. Experts also concluded that Allen was chronically more vulnerable than the average person, as she lived in a constant state of stress and was prone to losing control of her actions under stressful conditions.

First Murder and Imprisonment

In 1981, Wanda shared an apartment with Dedra Pettus. On June 29, 1981, a dispute arose between the neighbors, and Wanda shot and killed her friend. In her confession, Allen claimed that she accidentally shot Pettus from a distance of 30 feet (9 meters). However, evidence of bruising and burns on the victim's body indicated that Wanda pistol-whipped Dedra before shooting her at close range. Nevertheless, the prosecutor offered Allen a plea deal, and she received only four years of imprisonment in exchange for pleading guilty to the murder. She served only two years of her sentence.

Second Murder and Death Sentence

Seven years after the murder of Dedra Pettus, Wanda lived with her girlfriend Gloria Jean Leathers. They had met in prison and had a tumultuous relationship due to their propensity for violence. On December 2, 1988, Gloria was shot in front of the police station in Oklahoma City. Just 15 minutes before the incident, the two women had a loud argument in a grocery store. An officer escorted them home and stayed there while Gloria packed her belongings. Gloria and her mother intended to file a complaint against Wanda Allen. As soon as Gloria got out of the car, Allen shot her in the abdomen. Gloria's mother became a witness to the crime. Two police officers and a dispatcher heard the gunshot, but no one from the police station witnessed the attack. The murder weapon was found near the women's home. On December 5, 1988, Gloria Jean Leathers died from her injuries. The prosecutor charged Allen with first-degree murder and sought the death penalty. Despite numerous mitigating circumstances presented by the defense, the jury found Allen guilty, deemed her a danger to society, and sentenced her to death. The mitigating factors included the fact that the victim had previously stabbed a woman in 1979 and served time in prison, and Allen claimed to fear her; in addition, her good relationship with her family, good work behavior, and mental dysfunction resulting from adolescent trauma were considered.

Death Sentence and Execution

Wanda Allen spent 12 years on death row. Her plea for clemency was rejected. Protests from human rights activists and opponents of the death penalty spread across the country, but Governor Frank Keating remained steadfast. On January 11, 2001, 41-year-old Wanda Jean Allen was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Twenty-four relatives of Dedra Pettus and Gloria Jean Leathers watched the execution behind tinted glass. Before her death, Allen said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." She then stuck out her tongue and smiled at her friend, attorney Steve Presson. At 21:21, she was pronounced dead.