A mom who was convicted of homicide after giving cow’s milk to her malnourished toddler son whereas fleeing from Hurricane Katrina may have her life sentence commuted.
The Louisiana Board of Pardon and Parole has beneficial launch for 43-year-old Tiffany Woods who has been behind bars for the previous 17 years for second-degree homicide within the November 2005 malnutrition loss of life of her five-month-old child, Emmanuel.
The resolution of whether or not or not she’ll be launched is now as much as Governor John Bel Edwards.
At a listening to on Monday, Ms Woods pleaded for her launch in entrance of the board from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in Baker, the place Warden Kristen Thomas mentioned she was a “low-risk, low-need” inmate.
“At that stage of my life I was a young mother who was trying to take care of her children the best she could. And I made some terrible decisions,” Ms Woods advised the board, wiping her eyes.
“But the woman who sits before you today, I’m not that same person.”
Ms Woods, who was simply 25 years outdated on the time, and her kids have been dwelling in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the realm in 2005. Just three weeks earlier, her son Emmanuel was launched from the ICU after being born prematurely and with a situation that will increase the chance of sudden loss of life.
Tiffany Woods advised the board she was not ‘that same person’ who was convicted
(Louisiana Board of Pardon and Parole )
The household fled to Shreveport, Louisiana the place they stayed in a number of totally different lodging together with a sports activities enviornment and a motel earlier than transferring right into a rental home.
Ms Woods had been feeding the child with method till they ran out of meals vouchers, she advised the board. That’s when she determined to feed him cow’s milk.
“The formula he was taking, he wasn’t swallowing. He was always throwing it up, and then we ran out of WIC (food) vouchers, so I decided to switch it … I switched it to organic milk. I thought he was doing better, but he wasn’t thriving,” Ms Woods mentioned to the parole board.
Emmanuel’s situation continued to worsen and he died in November 2005.
Both Ms Woods and her husband have been indicted for homicide, and through the trial, the prosecution argued that despite the fact that Woods claimed she ran out of vouchers, there was meals and beer within the fridge after the child’s loss of life, in line with The Associated Press.
Tiffany Woods’ son Nie’John Woods appeared at her listening to through Zoom and requested the Louisiana pardon board to grant her clemency
(Louisiana Board of Pardon and Parole)
Louisiana regulation permits homicide convictions in unintentional deaths ensuing from a set of felonies that features cruelty to juveniles. Also, in contrast to most states, Louisiana homicide convictions carry a compulsory life jail sentence with no probability at parole for adults.
Both of Emmanuel’s mother and father misplaced their appeals. The boy’s father, Emmanuel Scott, who’s now 36, can also be serving life in jail. He hasn’t utilized for clemency.
Ms Wood’s different kids, who at the moment are grown, have been current for the board assembly earlier this week together with Troy Woods who spoke in assist of his mom and Nie’John Woods, who appeared through video from Alaska, the place he serves within the US Air Force.
He advised The Messenger that the Louisiana pardon board’s suggestion to launch her may lastly enable the household to heal after her arrest and conviction ripped it aside.
“There were many difficulties growing up without her, moving from home to home as a child — with people who were not always caring or loving,” he said.
The board voted unanimously that Ms Woods should be granted her freedom. But that decision ultimately comes down to Governor John Bel Edwards.
“I want to thank him for the consideration. For the first time in a very long time we have hope, which is a huge deal for myself and my siblings,” Nie’John added.
Last 12 months, the state board issued 105 suggestions for clemency, and Edwards granted 35 pardons and commuted sentences for 51 different folks.