Brittany Norwood family asks for parole in life sentence
January 26, 2012 - 11:02 a.m.
WJLA
The family of Brittany Norwood, who was convicted in the killing of her co-worker last November, has made a series of pleas urging against giving Norwood a life term without the chance of parole.
Her sister says Norwood has a "heart of gold."
Norwood, 29, was convicted of killing her co-worker Jayna Murray at the Lululemon Athletica store. The family presented 20 pages of pleas urging against a life penalty without parole, the Washington Post reported.
“I love my daughter more than words can say and I know she is worthy of a chance,” Earl Norwood wrote, according to the Post. “No one should ever have to experience” the pain the Murray family is enduring, he wrote. But the sixth of his nine children “has always been a person of a true caring nature and I know she still is.”
The pleas do not attempt to explain Norwood's behavior. The letters, which were made public by the judge Wednesday, tries to characterize Norwood as a loving member of the family.
The plea comes ahead of Norwood’s sentencing, set for Friday in Montgomery County.
Norwood was convicted of first-degree murder of the March 11 murder inside the store.
The jury took only one hour to find Brittany Norwood guilty of first-degree murder.
The murder shocked the area because of the brutality of the March 11 slaying and the twists and turns of the case. Norwood initially portrayed herself as a victim before police discovered holes in her story and arrested her.
“I know the trauma our family has been through I want no other family to go through this,” Jayna's mother Phyllis Murray said after Norwood was convicted.
Short URL: http://wj.la/ySg4VL
[Thanks to reader-researcher RC for this article.
Previously, on this case, at WEJB/NSU:
“Bethesda Cops: Black Yoga Store Worker Murdered White Colleague, Made Up Story about Masked Rapist-Killers, in Order to Avoid Jail for Thefts”;
“Black Bethesda Yoga Store Worker Brittany Norwood is Charged with Killing Her White Colleague, Jayna Murray: Five Videos”;
“Trial Date Set For Britanny Norwood, in Non-Hate Crime Murder in Bethesda, Maryland, lululemon athletica Store”;
“Reader Who Claims to Have Known Jayna Murray, Whose Killer Smashed Her Skull in for 20 Minutes in lululemon athletica, Has Compassion for the Killer, but None for Those Who Would Judge Her”;
“In Web Posts and Emails, Friends of Brittany Norwood, the Racist Lululemon Killer of Jayna Murray, Paint Mutually Contradictory Portraits of Norwood”;
“In 2007, Ex-Boyfriend Charged That Lululemon Murderer Brittany Norwood was Stalking Him”;
“Already in August, Lululemon Killer Brittany Norwood’s Lawyer was Playing the ‘Crazy Card’”;
“New Details in Grisly Lululemon Murder: Brittany Norwood Used at Least 4 Different Weapons to Kill Jayna Murray; Prosecutor: Crime was ‘Pre-Meditated’”;
Lululemon Trial of Brittany Norwood, for the Murder of Jayna Murray, Day 1: The Defense is Not Using the “Crazy Card,” but the “She Lost It Card”;
“The Desperate Struggle of Jayna Murray: Lululemon Murder Victim Tried to Escape, and was Alive Through Most of the Horrific Beating Brittany Norwood Inflicted on Her, Sustaining 322 Wounds (Washington Times)”;
“Lululemon Murder Trial, Day 2: A Bloody Video, in a Tear-Filled Courtroom”;
“The Lululemon Murder Trial, Day 3: The Apple Employees Who Heard the Murder, but Did Nothing”;
“Lululemon Trial: Is the ‘Crazy Card’ Off the Table for Jayna Murray’s Racist Killer, Brittany Norwood?”;
“Lululemon Trial: Rotten Apple; Computer Giant’s Employees Listened to the Murder Through a Shared Wall … and Listened … and Listened”; and
“Lululemon Verdict in: Brittany Norwood Convicted of 1st-Degree Murder, for Killing Jayna Murray! Ice-Cold, Calculating Killer Faces Up to Life Until Parole.”]
6 comments:
For what it's worth, Norwood did get "life without parole." However, how long will that be in a state like Maryland? A governor can commute the sentence at any time.
David In TN
Yes, the children are always so sweet at home, they're sure different out on the street in packs with weapons. If mothers sat on juries of criminals 99% would be still on the street.
Here is yet another "incident" in Portland OR on a max train. All the elements are there, the age angle being played up by the Oregonian is not really that unusual, I've often seen kids in that age range emulating the aggressive gange behaviors of older kids (or adults). Nothing about race is mentioned by the Oregonian but in a live interview of the victim she said the kid witht he gun made racial comments and kicked her baby stroller deliberately (wasn't an accidental bump).
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/01/11-year-old_portland_boy_accus.html
This was a horrible, horrible crime and there is NO excuse for Brittany Norwood's actions.
However, there was nothing to suggest race played any part in this. I wish people would be more responsible when using the word "racist".
This was a brutal, unforgivable crime, but it wasn't a "racist" act.
The pictures of the victim/murderer are flipped. Brittany Norwood (murderer) is actually the white girl while Jayna Murray (victim) is the black girl.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at 7:01:00 PM EST,
You disgusting, despicable, racist liar!
I feel sorry for Brittany. There should be a campaign to free her. I imagine she was under a lot of stress. I couldn't care less about Jayna Murphy. When George Zimmerman can walk free after stalking and killing a kid and she gets life without parole? Makes me feel like more white women should be bludgeoned esp. The blond ones :)
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