More than 100 people gathered Sunday night at a chapel on the campus of Emory University to participate in a vigil for death row inmate Kelly Gissendaner, who is scheduled to be executed Monday night. (Staff Photo: Tyler Estep)
ATLANTA Kelly Gissendaner was, is and always will be responsible for her husbands murder. No one gathered at Emory Universitys Cannon Chapel on Sunday night 23 hours before her scheduled execution posited otherwise.
The vigil drew in well over 100 people, including religious leaders, former prisoners and two of Gissendaners children. Their goal was simply to bring attention to a different side of Gissendaner and to make a last-minute plea to save her life.
Prisoners can be rehabilitated, Rev. Cathy Zappa said. People can do horrible things in their past and change. It does not undo what theyve done, but I just think that thats something that people need to know. It gives us all hope.
Gissendaner, 46, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. Monday at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied her clemency application last week, meaning that, barring a miracle, the execution will go on as planned.
On Sunday night, though, prayers were prayed and songs were sung, Bible verses recited. Stories were told about Gissendaner a woman described not as a cold-blooded murderer but a person overflowing with remorse, love and a willingness to help others.
People like Zappa, who counseled Gissendaner for years, and Nikki Rogers, a former prisoner who credits Gissendaner with preventing her suicide, spoke.
Rogers broke down in tears after delivering a spoken word-style poem.
Youre gonna live, you told me that day, she said. Your words cut away my rope. Well Kelly, today I shout those same words back at you. Youre going to live today! For sure! I believe it! Its not over!
Gissendaner is convicted of plotting the Feb. 7, 1997, murder of her husband, Doug. With her advice and guidance and with murder weapons she provided Gissendaners boyfriend abducted, beat and stabbed the victim in the woods near Dacula.
Gissendaner received the death penalty, but those gathered on a quiet Atlanta campus Sunday night argued that the world is better off with her in it.
She has lived her life in a way that is doing everything she can to make up for it, knowing good and well shell never make up for it, Zappa said. She has no illusion that she could ever make up for it. But killing her is not going to bring anyone back.
As of Sunday night, 381 faith leaders from the state of Georgia had signed a petition asking for Gissendaners sentence to be commuted to life in prison. Another 119 leaders from outside the state had signed it as well.
Nearly 14,000 laypeople had signed a separate petition.
Zappa visited Gissendaner in prison Sunday afternoon. When asked what message could be delivered to the outside world, the inmate told Zappa to share the following words.
Im walking in the light, she said, and Im holding onto my hope, faith and dignity to the very end of this.
Source: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/mar/01/faith-leaders-friends-family-gather-for-vigil-in/
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