In Support of Clemency for Melissa Chapman

We are outraged and appalled that an eighteen year old victim of severe physical and psychological abuse, having had only marginal involvement in a crime committed by her mentally disturbed companion, has been subjected to the severe punishment of life in prison without parole, as if she herself, had committed the crime for which she has been punished for more than two decades.  

In 1987, at the age of 18, Melissa Chapman was severely abused over a period of several months. She was beaten, kicked, cut, bitten, burned with cigarettes, handcuffed during beatings, raped, locked in closets and threatened with a loaded gun to the head by her drug-addicted boyfriend. Scared for her life, she left him several times, but he dragged her back with both promises of amends and threats of death.
   

One night, to her horror, he shot and killed a man who was sitting with them in a truck. Terrified and confused, because he threatened to kill her as well as her parents, Melissa did as she was told and helped him hide the body to protect her own life as well as those she loved. For this, she was convicted of premeditated 1st degree murder and handed a natural life sentence with no possibility of parole.

   
The state's outrageous argument of Melissa having had premeditation is totally discredited by the facts in the case; and by the testimony of her abusive companion, stating that his actions were driven by an emotionally spontaneous and uncontrollable jealous rage.  Logic dictates that this fact alone rules out premeditation.

    
Additionally, the following newly discovered evidence adds to the urgency of our appeal for executive clemency:

  
In 2007 Melissa passed a polygraph exam, administered by a leading expert, confirming her truthfulness of the events of the murder, absolving her of any significant participation or knowledge of premeditation.

   
Also in 2007, a jailhouse informant, a key witness against her, recanted her entire testimony - in writing and notarized, admitting she lied at Melissa's trial in exchange for procuring favorable treatment in her sentencing of her own case; which she did receive from the prosecutor.

  
Melissa never was, nor has ever been, a threat to anyone.

  
We the people, who believe in a just and fair society, who believe that the punishment should not be disproportionate to the crime, ask the Governor to heed the words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who, urging a more robust clemency process wrote Our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long. Courts may conclude the legislature is permitted to choose long sentences, but that does not mean long sentences are wise or just. Few misconceptions about government are more mischievous than the idea that a policy is sound simply because a court finds it permissible. A court decision does not excuse the political branches or the public from the responsibility for unjust laws."

  
Ms. Chapman's clemency is supported by The Michigan Women's Clemency and Justice Project (http://www.umich.edu/~clemency/).

We, citizens of the United States, respectfully request Ms. Chapman's clemency.