Many times before we have used this space to ask you to support a cause, vote in an election or trust our opinion on something. But this week, we ask you to do something, perhaps far weightier, than we’ve ever asked before– to assume responsibility for another person’s life, for their freedom.
Barbara Sheehan went on trial for the murder of her husband in 2008. The portrait of a sick and deadly abuser, masterfully presented by her criminal defense team during her trial was more than enough to assist a jury of her peers in reaching the decision to acquit her on murder charges. But they did not carry justice to the next step and found her guilty of a gun charge.
Now instead of being allowed to rejoin society without standing under the umbrella of terror she lived under for twenty years, she shares every day and night with nearly twenty other woman, strangers, inmates, in Albion State Correctional Facility. More than eight hours away from her nearest family member or friend.
She’s scheduled to sit there, in her cell, for the next five years– not only as the victim of her abusive husband Ray Sheehan; but also as the victim of a failed justice system, and one who we believe to have been targeted by an overzealous assistant district attorney who decided Barbara Sheehan should be punished and made an example of. She should be held up as a model for all those victims of domestic violence that might possibly follow in her unfortunate and tragic footsteps. The message law enforcement wants to send: no matter what your abuser does to you, even when they are positioned to kill you, still, you have no right to protect your life, take the law into your own hands and stop your attacker from taking your life.
And as unbelievable as it may sound, Barbara Sheehan is in prison to act as a deterrent to those who may make the choice to stand up to their demon.
Yes that’s right, picture this: Here is a woman who has been at the center of an abusive relationship for years. Her husband or her boyfriend beats her with regularity, he abuses her, not only physically but mentally tortures her. He threatens her family, maybe even her children. He spins tales in his head to justify his actions. This goes on for months and the months turn into years. She misses parties or dinner at a friend’s house. People don’t hear from her for weeks at a time and when they finally do catch up with her, she’s making excuses, wearing sunglasses—at night, in the dead of winter—they’re not protecting her from the blinding sun, they’re hiding the ring of black and purple bruises under her eye.
And one day, he comes home, he’s had a hard day, he’s tired, hungry, he’s had a few drinks, he’s angry and the beating, the verbal abuse, the humiliation all kick in at once. This time, fear and sheer panic rise inside her and through her fright she’s sees him coming after her, the look in his eye is more vacant and darker than ever before—she thinks “this is it, he’s going to kill me.”
Before the fear totally paralyzes her, she sees the opportunity to pick up a vase, a lamp, something—anything–to protect herself; to kill him before he kills her. She grabs for the object of choice and postures herself to defend her life. He comes at her in a rage. “I’ll break your neck,” he snarls. He’s going to kill her. But suddenly she puts the object down. “Wait a minute,” the terrified woman thinks, “I can’t defend myself, I might wind up in prison just like Barbara Sheehan.”
Right about now you’re probably scratching your head saying who the hell would stop to think about Barbara Sheehan sentence as the end of their life rapidly approaches. We think we can answer that question in one word: NOBODY.
That is why we ask you to join us in signing a petition instituted online at the site Change.org. The petition represents the voice of the people in the Sheehan case and when it is complete will be used as an integral part of a request for Governor Andrew Cuomo to grant executive clemency and release Barbara.
Online for less than two weeks, it has already gathered nearly one thousand signatures. They have come from friends and family and hundreds of strangers across the entire country. We ask that you please take a minute to visit the site then visit your heart and submit your signature.
Barbara Sheehan served twenty years of hard time as the wife of a twisted, malevolent monster. We think that’s more than enough of her life thrown away. She was the victim of Ray Sheehan and now a victim of the courts. Join with us in taking the steps to help her regain the two things she lost over twenty years ago—her freedom and her life.
Clemency won’t give her back that which was stolen from her and her children. But it will offer the opportunity to start again. For Barbara, it’s an opportunity to start again. For us, it’s a chance to help make things right.
