Teresa Lewis | |
|---|---|
 An undated photo of Lewis on death row | |
| Born | Teresa Wilson April 26, 1969 Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 23, 2010 (aged 41) Greensville Correctional Center, Jarratt, Virginia, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
| Criminal status | Executed[1] |
| Spouse |
Julian Clifton Lewis Jr.
(m. 2000; murdered 2002) |
| Children | 4 |
| Conviction(s) |
|
| Criminal penalty | Death (June 3, 2003) |
Teresa Wilson Bean Lewis (April 26, 1969 – September 23, 2010) was an American murderer who was the only woman on death row in Virginia prior to her execution.[2] She was sentenced to death by lethal injection for the murders of her husband and stepson in October 2002. Lewis sought to profit from a $250,000 life insurance policy her stepson had taken out as a U.S. Army reservist in anticipation of his deployment to Iraq.[3]
In September 2010, Lewis became the first female inmate to die by lethal injection in the state of Virginia.[4] The state had last executed a female, 17-year-old Virginia Christian, in 1912.[5] The case led to debate over capital punishment owing to Lewis's sex, as well as to questions regarding her mental capacity. Capital punishment was abolished in Virginia on March 24, 2021, officially making Lewis the last woman to be executed in Virginia.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WHSV-20100923was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Harris, Donna (September 3, 2010). "Emotions Rise Over Pending Execution of Teresa Lewis". WSET. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ Hammack, Laurence (September 12, 2010). "Teresa Lewis to be executed by lethal injection". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
- ^ "Virginia to execute first woman in almost 100 years". The Times of India. Agence France-Presse. September 21, 2010. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ Grisham, John (September 12, 2010). "John Grisham: Teresa Lewis didn't pull the trigger. Why is she on death row?". The Washington Post. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2010.