Journal Entry 1 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Saturday, September 24, 2005

In 1984, Velma Barfield became the first woman since 1962 to be executed in the United States. Her crimes were unusual: Barfield was convicted of the 1978 arsenic poisoning of her fiancé, Stuart Taylor, and she admitted killing three other people with poison, including her own mother. But her path to execution was circuitous, involving appeal after appeal to various high courts, a grassroots movement to prevent her death, a jailhouse spiritual epiphany, and subsequent "recollections" of childhood abuse and torment that she claimed eventually led to her abuse of prescription tranquilizers, which in turn clouded her judgment and enabled her to perform murderous crimes. Death Sentence, however, is as much about the people she left behind as it is about her fate. 

Journal Entry 2 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Thursday, May 04, 2006

Sending as a Bookrelay to giz-angel. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 3 by Giz-angel from Greenwich, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, June 05, 2006

Ooooh got this today it looks SO interesting it may creep up my TBR pile! Thanks LL :-) 

Journal Entry 4 by Giz-angel from Greenwich, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Interesting true crime book - I hadn't actually heard of this woman before I read this. Thanks Lauraloo for sharing this with me - it gave me a good insight into some of the legal processes in the US but also made me think about the families of people on death row and how this would affect them. 

Journal Entry 5 by Giz-angel from Greenwich, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, October 01, 2006

Sending to the Rlay Give Thanks For Books sweep winner ;-) 

Journal Entry 6 by Heaven150 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Thursday, August 28, 2008

Sorry for the long delay in journaling this. It is in my TBR pile. 

Journal Entry 7 by Heaven150 at Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Saturday, August 06, 2011

While I enjoyed this book, I have mixed feelings about it. I believe justice was served with Velma's execution, although I was surprise it was actually carried out. I was a bit disappointed that more was said of Velma's victims. Velma's case was definitely an interesting one, but when it is all said and done she was a serial killer (who just happen to also be a grandmother). My heart goes out to all families who suffered losses, Velma's victims and her own family.