Sentence upheld against only woman on Georgia’s death row
The federal appeals court in Atlanta on Tuesday upheld the capital sentence against the only woman on Georgia’s death row.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected all claims raised by Kelly Gissendaner, who talked her lover into killing her husband, Douglas Gissendaner, for insurance money. Gregory Bruce Owen, who testified in exchange for a life sentence, said he forced Gissendaner to a remote, wooded location before beating and stabbing him. Owen said he took Gissendaner’s watch and wedding ring to try and make the 1997 murder look like it was part of a robbery.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
