Teresa Lewis died by injection Thursday night for the murders of her
husband and stepson, the first execution of a woman in Virginia since
1912 and the first in the country in five years. In her final words,
Lewis, 41, said, “I just want Kathy to know I love you and I’m very
sorry.” The murders left Lewis’ stepdaughter, Kathy Clifton, the only
surviving member of her family.
Lewis appeared serious and fearful as she was led to the execution
chamber. Outside the prison, about a dozen people stood in protest.
They were outnumbered by about three dozen members of the media,
including reporters from Great Britain and Italy. The execution was just
the 12th of a woman — compared with more than 1,200 for men — since the
death penalty resumed in 1977. The rare event drew attention, and
criticism, from across the nation and abroad. Lewis was sentenced to
death in 2003 for the Oct. 30, 2002, murder-for-hire slayings of her
husband and stepson. Using sex and promises of money, she persuaded two
men to kill for her in an effort to gain $250,000 in life insurance.
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