Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher commuted the sentences of five women convicted of killing their spouses. One of those women is Margie Marcum of Inez, convicted in 1992 of the death of her husband, Marion.
Marcum's sentence was commuted by another Kentucky Governor in his last hours in office. Former Governor Brereton Jones commuted her sentence in 1995. Watch WSAZ's story on this incident in 1995 in our video link to this story.
Fletcher's pardon clears her record. In all, Fletcher pardoned nine women and freed five others from prison. Most were victims of domestic abuse who either killed or assaulted their abusers. One woman was charged in the death of her child.
The pardons were Fletcher's first since those he offered to his entire administration in the wake of a probe for alleged illegal patronage.
Fletcher also issued pardons to everyone who has been or might be charged in a personnel investigation in his administration. Fletcher says he won't pardon himself.