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Interview with Mary Stennett Sellers, Mother of Death Row Inmate

 Today, I am going to introduce the interview with a person who is a mosther of death row inmate.


A Mother’s Grief: Interview with Mary Stennett Sellers, Mother of Death Row Inmate

Matthew Puckett who was convicted for murder and executed by the state of Mississipi in 2012. Mary Stennett Sellers was the mother of him. 

- "Before Matt's arrest, did you believe in the death penalty? (Arpin, Jamie, 2019)"
She answers that she has never really thought of the death penalty because it was irelevet from her life and she had never thought if she is for or against it. Although she sometimes sees the report of the execution of criminals, she never really registered. She has thought of the victim's family's feelings but did not have any idea of thikng about the convicted's family. 

- "When a person is imprisoned — even more so when they are put on death row — people view their families as somehow responsible as well. Did you experience that? In what ways? (Arpin, Jamie, 2019)"

She agrees that she felt having a lot of resposibilities from at the very beginning. She said that they knew more about the crime than they said they did. They "had no experience with the criminal system, the courts, the jails or the people that worked in these areas. (Arpin, Jamie, 2019)" Furthemore, she said that the family of the victim has a personal relationship which contains emotion and empathy towards the family, which made situtaion worse. She "still believes to this day that there were many officers of the law and courts who were more than willing to perjure themselves or to look the other way while evidence was fabricated and lies were told to insure that Matt was convicted and executed simply to save the son of a law enforcement officer. (Arpin, Jamie, 2019)"

Convincing the law that Matt had could have not commited such a crime was immposible. She was even worry to let her kids stay at home because they received many death threats messages towards her family.


To be continued..

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