How Many Women Are On Texas Death Row And Why?

There are nearly 180 inmates on Texas Death Row, and of them, only six* are women.

*seven, if you count Brittany Marlowe Holberg, but her conviction was recently vacated. A lower court will have to decide how to proceed (i.e., re-seek the death penalty or not). More on Brittany later.

When Do Women Get The Death Penalty In Texas?

There are probably a few reasons why there is a tiny fraction of women on death row (about 3% of inmates).

The first reason is that women commit fewer violent crimes. According to a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, when a victim reports a violent crime, it was a woman who committed the crime only 14% of the time. As for men, they are six times more likely to commit a violent crime than women are.

In Texas, a crime is only eligible for the death penalty if it is considered a Capital crime. These are extreme circumstances, including killing children under 15, killing police officers, and killing while committing another serious crime like sexual assault or robbery, again further limiting how many women would go that far.

Furthermore, Texas prosecutors must demonstrate "future dangerousness". This is usually proven with a long list of prior violent crime or terrible behavior post-arrest. Since women are less likely to commit violent crime, they are also less likely to have violent priors.

Is The Death Penalty For Women A "Good Look" For Texas?

When considering the death penalty for women, optics is a consideration. Death Penalty cases get a lot of attention, and a prosecutor has to bear the scrutiny of pursuing the ultimate punishment for a woman. The case has to be so terrible and unthinkable that a prosecutor sees it as a slam-dunk for their future career.

So What Did These Texas Women Do That Was So Awful and Unimaginable To End Up On Death Row?

If these women truly did what they are convicted of, you will likely have very little sympathy for any of them. All of these cases have something in common- the victim(s) were vulnerable people who didn't stand a chance. I particularly recoil at Taylor Parker, the most recent woman added to death row.

However, for a couple of these women, you may not be so sure they did what they were convicted of- there is a lot of controversy around the convictions of two of these women.

Here are their stories. I'll let you decide if they deserve the needle or not:

A Look At The Life & Crimes Of Every Woman On Texas Death Row

Texas Death Row currently only has seven women waiting to be executed. Here is a look at the shocking and brutal crimes they were convicted of that landed them in line for the needle.

Gallery Credit: Renee Raven

Notorious: The Life And Crimes Of Every Woman Executed In Texas

Only six women have ever been executed in Texas since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty. This is a look at their crimes, the motives of which range from greed to drugs, to horrific abuse. We also take a look at the first and last legally hanged women in Texas.

Gallery Credit: Renee Raven