This story is an example of the kind of grisly violence women are exposed to.
Sandy Shaw, her case known as the “Show And Tell Murder”, was paroled in December after 22 years in prison.
Her life seemed to be plagued with incredible acts of violence against women. (From the Las Vegas Sun)
“Virginia’s friend, Betty DiFiore, was at the Mallin house to drive Jessica and me to another home to spend the night,” Sandy recalls, “because Virginia and Alex had been fighting and she wanted us moved to a safer place. As Mrs. DiFiore was telling us to get our things together, Alex suddenly appeared in the doorway of Jessica’s bedroom, put a gun to Betty’s head and shot her. She fell right on me. I was covered with brains and blood.”
And another one:
Less than six months later, as Sandy was waiting for her mother to pick her up at school, she witnessed a man shoot his pregnant girlfriend less than 20 feet away from her. She didn’t know either the gunman or the victim, but it brought back visions of the first murder in living color. Then just 14, Shaw was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. A visit to a therapist didn’t do much to get her back on track.
Although two other men killed the victim, Cotton Kelly, Shaw got twice the amount of time as the others.
Why?
Read the article here: After 21 years on hold, she’s ready for life.
Actually, one other man killed Cotton Kelly, whose real name was Thiede. The trigger man was Troy Kell, who surprised both Sandy Shaw and Kell’s friend Billy Merritt when he pulled a gun and shot Cotton Thiede dead. Sandy Shaw had recruited Kell to slap Cotton Thiede around because the adult man had been stalking the 15-year-old Shaw and hounding her to have sex with him. She did not get twice the amount of time that Kell got–he got he same “life without” sentences she did (hers were later communted) but compounded his problems by stabbing a fellow inmate to death in prison.
Merritt did only four years because he testified for the state against Kell. Sandy Shaw likely would not likey have been convicted had her trial not been severed from Kell’s and Merritt’s, as she would have had benefit of their testimony. Even with that, it took what now appears to be perjured testimony (pressured from the prosecutor) to convict her. It was a horrible injustice, but she has come through it somehow as the same good person she was before she went in–which is remarkable considering she grew up in prison.
Sandy Shaw got a royal screw job. I’m glad to see her looking good and being free, but, don’t think for a minute that she has come through it unscathed!! I can tell you from experience that she will think about that hell hole everyday.