danielle
04-14-2002, 02:59 PM
November 2000
MISSISSIPPI:----female faces death sentence
An Iuka woman faces the death penalty for the 1999 murder of her husband. A Tishomingo County jury found Michelle Byrom, 44, guilty Friday. It began hearing arguments in the penalty phase of the trial Saturday.
Prosecutors said Byrom's husband, Edward Byrom Sr., 56, was killed in a murder-for-hire scheme so she could collect his retirement and insurance benefits. Edward Byrom, a Tennessee Valley Authority electrician, was shot 4 times
on June 4, 1999, in his home on Mississippi 172 .
Witnesses testified that the victim was lying on his couch watching television and had probably fallen asleep when he was shot. The television remote control was pierced by one bullet and the victim had bullet wounds to a thumb and forefinger, which indicated he was holding the remote when he was shot.
Prosecution witnesses included Byrom's son, Edward Byrom Jr., 20, who testified against his mother to take advantage of a plea bargain with prosecutors.
In exchange for his testimony, state prosecutors agreed to recommend Byrom be sentenced to a total of 50 years, 20 years suspended and 30 years to serve. Gillis remains in jail awaiting trial on capital murder charges.
Byrom, 20, said his mother negotiated with his friend, Joey Gillis, to hire a hit man to kill the senior Byrom. Although he gave conflicting statements to investigators following the murder, Byrom maintained on the stand that he was only involved in the last stages of the crime because 2 other attempts on his father's life had been foiled.
MISSISSIPPI:----female faces death sentence
An Iuka woman faces the death penalty for the 1999 murder of her husband. A Tishomingo County jury found Michelle Byrom, 44, guilty Friday. It began hearing arguments in the penalty phase of the trial Saturday.
Prosecutors said Byrom's husband, Edward Byrom Sr., 56, was killed in a murder-for-hire scheme so she could collect his retirement and insurance benefits. Edward Byrom, a Tennessee Valley Authority electrician, was shot 4 times
on June 4, 1999, in his home on Mississippi 172 .
Witnesses testified that the victim was lying on his couch watching television and had probably fallen asleep when he was shot. The television remote control was pierced by one bullet and the victim had bullet wounds to a thumb and forefinger, which indicated he was holding the remote when he was shot.
Prosecution witnesses included Byrom's son, Edward Byrom Jr., 20, who testified against his mother to take advantage of a plea bargain with prosecutors.
In exchange for his testimony, state prosecutors agreed to recommend Byrom be sentenced to a total of 50 years, 20 years suspended and 30 years to serve. Gillis remains in jail awaiting trial on capital murder charges.
Byrom, 20, said his mother negotiated with his friend, Joey Gillis, to hire a hit man to kill the senior Byrom. Although he gave conflicting statements to investigators following the murder, Byrom maintained on the stand that he was only involved in the last stages of the crime because 2 other attempts on his father's life had been foiled.