Clayton woman’s aquittal stuns her lawyer, murdered husband’s family

Relatives of slain trucker Donnie “Bubba” Skinner gasped Thursday afternoon as a Clayton County jury foreman announced that Skinner’s wife was found not guilty on murder charges.

Allene Skinner, 52, was acquitted on all charges in the June 9, 2007, shooting death of her husband. Even her defense attorney, Malcolm Wells, was stunned.

“I was surprised,” Wells said. “I thought we’d get caught in the conspiracy charge at least when jurors asked to hear Charles Smith’s transcript.”

Smith, Allene Skinner’s lover, pleaded guilty in June to ambushing and killing Skinner and was sentenced to life in prison. He testified Wednesday that Allene Skinner “hounded” him for months to kill her husband.

Smith, who worked as a State Farmers’ Market police officer at the time of the slaying, gunned down Skinner in a trucking company parking lot.

Because she was exonerated, Allene Skinner becomes eligible for her husband’s $90,000 insurance policy and whatever benefits he left. But Skinner’s mother said she plans to file a wrongful death suit against Smith and Allene Skinner.

“She won’t ever spend any of that,” Carolyn Skinner said. “We can bring out all the evidence in civil court that the judge wouldn’t let us bring in the criminal trial.”

Skinner’s family said they forgave Smith months ago and hold Allene Skinner responsible for her husband’s death. The victim’s father, Donald Skinner, cursed the defendant as he walked out of the courtroom.

“She’s nothing but a vulture in society, a heartless psychopath,” he said outside the courtroom.

The defendant’s family did not attend the verdict hearing.

Jurors immediately left the courthouse, refusing to speak about the verdict. Clayton police Detective Scott Eskew said jurors apparently didn’t believe Smith’s testimony.

“Her multiple lies wasn’t enough for jurors to find suspicions in her,” Eskew said.

Allene Skinner doesn’t walk away free. Eskew said she has a probation violation from Fayette County. In 2005, she was arrested for passing a counterfeit $349,9000 check for the purchase of a home on 12 acres.