January 13, 2012 2:13 PM

8 of the murderers Haley Barbour pardoned killed their wives, girlfriends

By
Julia Dahl
Topics
Daily Blotter

Betty Ellis (l), mother of Tammy Ellis Gatlin, who was murdered by one of the men pardoned by Gov. Haley Barbour, and Tiffany Brewer (r), Tammy's sister

(Credit: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
(CBS) - Four years ago, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour was criticized for pardoning six men who had been convicted of killing their wives or girlfriends. And now, he's done it again.

Barbour's more than 200 pardons have sparked national outrage, and among the most appalled are those who work with victims of domestic violence.

"This sends a chilling message to victims of domestic violence," says Liz Roberts, Chief Program Officer of Safe Horizon, a victim's service agency in New York City. "The message is that the government isn't prepared to protect them and to take the crimes against them seriously."

According to a new survey by the Centers for Disease Control, one in four American women fall victim to severe physical violence by their partner, and according to the Bureau of Justice statistics one in three female victims of homicide is killed by her intimate partner.

Below is a breakdown of the men - and one woman - who were convicted of murdering their intimate partners and had their records wiped clean by the outgoing governor.

Pardoned this week:

David Glenn Gatlin: In 1993 Gaitlin reportedly drove nine hours to shoot and kill his estranged wife, Tammy Gaitlin, while she held their infant son, reports the Jackson Free Press. He also shot her friend Randy Walker, who survived. Although pardoned and released, the district attorney for the county in which he committed the murder told NBC affiliate WLBT yesterday that he does not believe Gatlin completed the constitutionally mandated requirement that he give 30 days public notice that he was seeking a pardon.

Anthony McCray: Convicted of killing his wife, Jennifer McCray, in 2001. According to the Associate Press, the two had reportedly been arguing at a cafe. He left, returned, and shot her once in the back. CNN reports that McCray was granted a full pardon and has been released.

To be fair, we include Patricia L. Simpson, who shot and killed her husband, Donald Simpson, in 2003, reports Fox affiliate WALA. Simpson served just three years before she was pardoned.

Pardoned in 2008:

Bobby Hays Clark: Convicted of manslaughter for shooting and killing his former girlfriend, Veronica Conner, reports the Jackson Free Press.

Paul Joseph Warnock: Murdered his girlfriend, 18-year-old Carol Ann Hall in 1989. According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Warnock shot Hall in the back of the head while she slept.

Michael Davie Graham: Stalked his ex-wife, Adrienne Klasky, for three years before he finally shot her to death with a 12-gauge shotgun while she waited at a traffic light in her car in 1989, reports the Biloxi Sun Herald.

Clarence Jones: Murdered his ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old Carla M. Smith, in 1992. According to the Jackson Free Press, Smith had filed multiple assault and trespassing charges against Jones before her death. Jones waited for her in her apartment on New Year's Day and killed her by stabbing her 22 times, reported the Vicksburg Post.

Victor C. Collins: Convicted of fatally beating his girlfriend, Peggy Campbell, with a tree branch in 1994. According to the Sun Herald newspaper, Campbell's body was found in a pile of leaves.

Jimmy Lee Avera: According to the Sun Herald, in 1992 Avera shot and killed his estranged girlfriend, Tabitha Ann Sparks, 24, while she was pregnant, and while her two children were at home with her. He fired 11 shots at her, including one in the back as she tried to run away. Avera had been granted parole before Barbour pardoned him in 2008.

Complete coverage of Haley Barbour's pardons on Crimesider


Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
by js2212 January 16, 2012 8:51 PM EST
callsforjustice, I'm wondering if we read the same article? I didn't read anything about the Tea Party here. Could it be that you are just a rabid anti-Tea Party nut? At least find an article that ABOUT the Tea Party. Meanwhile, have another sip of Kool Aid. It might relax you. You sound all stressed out.
Reply to this comment
by jory54 January 14, 2012 9:42 PM EST
Governor Barbour should not hide his outrageous folly behind Christian doctrine. First of all, the person called upon to turn the other cheek is the victim, not a third party like Barbour. If he himself was the victim of violence or a close relative of his was murdered and he wanted to say, "I forgive you," that would be HIS prerogative - but not society's. Secondly, Jesus said, "Render under Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's." Barbour is guilty of a heinous travesty of justice and he only adds insult to injury by trying to justify it as God's Will.
Reply to this comment
by notreich January 14, 2012 1:13 AM EST
"The message is that the government isn't prepared to protect them and to take the crimes against them seriously." Come on, Barbour isn't the government, he's one politician, and now he's not even that.
Reply to this comment
by Calls4Justice January 13, 2012 4:57 PM EST
How much more proof do we need? What more does it take for people to realize that this type of mindless, dangerous brazenly impudent mentality is the stock and trade of the Tea Party Republican agenda? They are anti-consumer, anti-citizen, anti-regulation, anti-environment, anti-middle-class, anti-poverty-class, anti-social champions of wealthy unscrupulous corporations and other such thugs, murderers and extremists who threaten the very foundations of this society.

For the right price, the Tea Party Republican 'slob mentality' would resurrect the entire Nazi regime, just to ram its demented agenda down the throats of the voters. They are militant anti-gun-control fanatics because so many of their devotees are thugs and murderers who desperately need those guns and AK-47's to wreak havoc on the rest of the civilized world.

We have all the evidence we need to reject these demented Tea Party Republicans at the polls this November.
Reply to this comment
by Willbill459 January 14, 2012 7:48 PM EST
Calls4Justice, Firearms are used for self-defense as well as for other lawful purposes than in crime. In fact, criminologists have found that U.S. citizens use firearms for self-defense 2.5 million times a year.
http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/KleckAndGertz1.htm

My sister is an example. When she lived in Tennessee she advocated gun control, and she stated that she supported a total ban on handguns. When she moved to Atlanta with its high rate of violent crime her views changed, and she got her firearms carry permit, took up shooting as a sport, and became an excellent marksman. In two separate incidents attackers tried to force their way into her car while she was stopped at traffic lights, both times, she brandished her Glock pistol, and both times the attackers fled.
The thugs you speak of love gun control because they prefer unarmed victims. I know the thug that tried to attack my sister would have loved it if she was disarmed.

It is also important to note that firearms rights have been expanded over last several years, and more citizens are now free to carry firearms in more places. Yet, homicides, including homicides with firearms, as well as all other violent crime have been decreasing since 2006. Moreover, after a dramatic increase in firearms sales and ownership after the last Presidential election including an increase in first time firearms purchases and an increase in firearms carry permits, gun ban groups and zealot predicted that there would be a corresponding increase in murders. However, the U.S. homicide rate decreased from 5.0 per 100,000 in 2009 to 4.8 per 100,000 in 2010.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10shrtbl08.xls

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl01.xls

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl01a.xls



Furthermore, those AK-47s that you say "wreak havoc on the rest of the civilized world" are rarely used in crime. In 2010, Aks, ARs, Uzis and all other semi-auto "Assault Weapons" as well as all other rifles accounted for 358 murders nationwide. That is less than three percent of all homicides and comes to less than two per day. Not only does that mean that no one in you state will be murdered by an "Assault Weapon" or any other rifle this month but likely not next month, or even the month after that.
By contrast, over four times the number of murders, 1,704, were with knives or cutting instruments, over twice the numbers of murders, 745, were with hands, fists, feet, etc, and more murders, 540, were committed using blunt objects like clubs, hammers, baseball bats, etc.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10shrtbl08.xls

The problem we have is that we have too many parole boards, judges, and in case a governor who keep putting violent felons back on the street. Mississippi's citizens must vote Haley Barbour out of office.
by retiredgustav January 13, 2012 4:32 PM EST
Somebody has something on Barbour, was he caught in bed with a live boy or was it a dead woman?
Reply to this comment
by tryhonesty January 13, 2012 4:30 PM EST
Just another Greedy OLD Party RepubliCON at his best. Bozo Barbour.
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by amerilatino January 13, 2012 4:19 PM EST
And the last sentences to 'Guvna' Barbour's pardon statements read- "...other than that, we ain't nuthin' but good ole' boys..."
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by DocD--2008 January 13, 2012 4:12 PM EST
Barbour should be forced to take all of these murderers into his house to live with his family for life.
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by RandallRichard January 13, 2012 3:57 PM EST
And the Republicans were so hoping this guy would run for president. Amazing.
Reply to this comment
by retiredgustav January 13, 2012 4:33 PM EST
There goes his shot at VP, as a family values candidate no less.
by ItsWinston January 13, 2012 3:29 PM EST
You have got to be kidding me. These were not accidents, these were obviously violent premeditated murders. The one who killed his wife holding a baby and the other who killed his pregnant ex-girlfriend in front of her children were both especially horrifying. Absolutely sickening.
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