Women Who Killed Abusive Partners Get a Shot at Freedom
(Getty/stevanovicigor)
In Oklahoma, a groundbreaking law designed to give imprisoned domestic-violence survivors a second chance is colliding with a familiar obstacle: prosecutors unwilling to relent. A detailed New York Times Magazine/ProPublica investigation by Pamela Colloff follows women who killed—or helped kill—their abusers and are now testing the state’s 2024 Oklahoma Survivors’ Act. The law allows judges to reduce sentences when abuse is shown to have clearly contributed to the crime.
The law has had one remarkable success: Lisa Rae Moss, who endured years of brutal assaults and was not present when her husband was killed, was released after 35 years when a judge determined her abuse had substantially influenced the murder.
For most others, the path is far less hopeful. Colloff highlights how Tulsa County DA Steve Kunzweiler and his team have resisted resentencing requests, aggressively cross-examining survivors such as April Wilkens—whose ex-fiancé’s violence was well documented—and bringing in experts to argue that drugs or mental illness, rather than abuse, drove their actions. Judges have repeatedly denied relief, underscoring the wide discretion in how “survivor justice” laws are applied and raising questions about whether the system can recognize these women as both victims and perpetrators.
The full piece offers a meticulously reported look at the challenges and complexities facing survivors seeking justice under the new law.
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