TEXAS EXECUTES LISA COLEMAN — SECOND WOMAN PUT TO DEATH IN STATE THIS YEAR
Texas has executed Lisa Coleman, making her the second woman put to death by the state this year and the 15th woman executed in Texas since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Coleman, convicted of murdering her partner’s nine-year-old son, Davontae Williams, was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m. CT on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
Coleman’s partner, Marcella Williams, who was also involved in the crime, took a plea deal and was sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors argued during the trial that because the child was confined to his home, the act constituted kidnapping in addition to murder—a charge that played a key role in securing the death penalty. Coleman’s defense contended that the original lawyers failed to challenge this interpretation of the law effectively.
In the days leading up to the execution, Coleman’s attorneys filed appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that she had been improperly targeted and that her death sentence was legally flawed. The Fifth Circuit rejected the appeal on Tuesday. Coleman’s legal team also claimed that she had been singled out because of her race and sexuality. Attorney John Stickels stated, “The state singled Coleman out and figured some way to get her the death penalty because she was black, a lesbian and an easy target … it was a slam dunk. We are not asking for her to be released, we are just asking the state to be fair and follow the law.”
Coleman’s execution is part of a broader pattern in Texas, which has historically carried out more executions than any other state. Earlier in the year, Suzanne Basso was executed for her involvement in the 1998 torture and murder of a mentally disabled man.
As of Wednesday, no further executions were scheduled for September, though ten executions remain scheduled for the rest of the year in Texas, pending appeals and possible stays. Coleman’s case continues to spark discussions about fairness in capital punishment, potential biases in sentencing, and the application of the death penalty to women, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds.
⚖️ Convicted of killing a child. Second woman executed in Texas this year. Appeals over racial and sexual bias denied, ending a high-profile death penalty case.
