Kelly Gissendaner

On February 7, 1997, Gregory Bruce Owen (born March 17, 1971) hid near the couple's home in Auburn. When Douglas arrived, Owen forced Douglas into his car at knifepoint and drove him to a wooded area in Gwinnett County near Harbins Park.[3] After striking Douglas in the head with a nightstick, Owen stabbed Douglas in the neck and back multiple times. When Kelly arrived at the scene moments later, the two set fire to her husband's car and hid the body in the woods.[3]

Before trial, prosecutors offered both Owen and Gissendaner a plea deal of life in prison and no chance of parole for twenty-five years.[7] Gissendaner, however, rejected the plea deal.[7]

Gissendaner was convicted of orchestrating her husband's murder and sentenced to death in 1998, after Owen testified against her in a plea agreement in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.[1] Owen told a jury that Gissendaner had first approached him about "a way to get rid of" her husband three months before the murder.[3] He further testified that Gissendaner thought murder was the only way to get Douglas out of her life and still get the house and a payoff from his life insurance policy.[8] During the trial, Gissendaner was discovered to have threatened witnesses and also plotted to pay a witness to commit perjury.[9]

After being sentenced to death, Gissendaner resided in Metro State Prison until it was closed in 2011. She was then transferred to Arrendale State Prison. While in prison, Gissendaner had a conversion to Christianity.[10] During her time in prison, Gissendaner ministered to other women living in prison with her.[7]

A group of women who were incarcerated with Gissendaner formed a group called the "Struggle Sisters" after they were released from prison. Gissendaner had spoken to the women through an air vent and prevented some from committing suicide, while other women tell of how Gissendaner's words encouraged them to turn their lives around.[11] The women released a video detailing the impact Gissendaner had on their lives.[7]

In 2010, Gissendaner enrolled in a theology studies program for prisoners, run by a consortium of Atlanta-area divinity schools, including the divinity school at Emory University.[10]

During theology studies, she became a student of Christian thinkers like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rowan Williams.[10] Gissendaner developed a friendship with Jürgen Moltmann while she was in prison.[10] Gissendaner sent Moltmann a paper which she had written on Bonhoeffer. He was impressed with her paper, and he wrote back. After that, the two became penpals exchanging letters about theology and faith.[10] Gissendaner completed a theological degree program through Emory University.[7]