80-year-old woman sentenced 8 to 10 years for husband's murder

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.fox19.com/2021/07/15/80-year-old-woman-sentenced-8-10-years-husbands-murder/

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP/Gray News) - Lavetta Langdon appeared in Red Willow County Court July 12 for sentencing after being convicted of murdering her husband, Larry Langdon, in August 2020.

Court documents said she shot him twice in his sleep and confessed to the police.

KNOP reported the two had been married since 1960. Lavetta Langdon, who is 80 years old, said she was abused by her husband for over 50 years.

(snip)

“While she was forthcoming about the crime, it is not a rationally fair base to settle this case,” (county attorney) Wood said. “There is no way under Nebraska law that this a legal defense nor does it excuse or explain her conduct.”

CW: Some tough abuse details at the link.

Also of note:

Lavetta Langdon said she did reach out to law enforcement multiple times through the years but they did not help her.

[North Shore Chicago]

1. What horrors

this woman endured during her 5 decades with this man. The system did not help her, even when going to the authorities probably was not as prevalent as it is now for the hell he put her through.

Says a lot when the abusers brother came to her defense.

He is in the right place, she is not.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. .

The system did not help her, even when going to the authorities probably was not as prevalent as it is now

I would not be surprised at all if she tried to talk to the police within the past five years about being abuse, and getting the brush off.

[North Shore Chicago]

7. You are probably correct.

Thank you for posting this profoundly sad story.

[marble falls]

3. Lived in NE Nebraska ...

[niyad]

4. Why does that last line not surprise me?

[tblue37]

5. Deafie here. What did he say? nt

[UpInArms]

6. From the article:

“I have to consider what is fair to you, protect the public, and rehabilitate you. I have to consider many factors: age, criminal history, education, etc. Involuntarily manslaughter carries a maximum of 20 years. There is no question that you, Lavetta, suffer from battery women’s syndrome. No question that you lived in hell, but my review of reports and security camera footage sees the murder unjustified,” said Judge Urbom. “Your attorney argued domestic violence. The bottom line, you killed a man in cold blood. There is no way I can put you on probation. No one deserved to be murdered. Any less of a sentence I would impose would not be good.”

I wonder, if the act was caught on a security camera, if his acts of violence against her were also on there?

[gratuitous]

8. If you're talking about the clip

From the movie "Unforgiven," the tall chap on the porch tells the Gene Hackman character he'd heard that Hackman was dead. Fell off his horse. Drunk, of course. Hackman responds that he'd heard that story, too. Even Hackman thought he might be dead. Turns out he was just in Nebraska.

[tblue37]

9. Thanks. Without closed captioning I can't understand videos.

[niyad]

11. The last line of the OP, getting no help from law enforcement.

[tblue37]

16. I meant the video clip. But thanks.

[Sneederbunk]

13. Should have reached out to a lawyer.

[Chainfire]

10. Sometimes a person has to do what a person has to do and damn the consequences.

[Dial H For Hero]

12. The judge was in an awkward position. She had just been convicted of first-degree murder.

As he pointed out, being abused, even over a period of decades, does not legally justify murder. She’ll be eligible for parole in four years, which is a very light sentence for first-degree murder.

Perhaps the governor could commute her sentence?

[radicalleft]

14. Wait what?

So murder should go unpunished?

[Dial H For Hero]

15. In this case, with these mitigating circumstances....perhaps.

One of the reasons the judge cited for sending her to prison was public safety. Does anyone really think she's going to do this again?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. All the decades that she suffered the abuse wasn't enough punishment? I think it was. n/t

[ZonkerHarris]

18. so anyone who has been abused should be allowed to murder their abuser?

[radicalleft]

19. You can't be opposed to the DP

If you think there are valid reasons for 1st degree murder.

Murder is murder is murder

[radicalleft]

20. It seems that she made choices in her life.

"At one time, she divorced Larry Langdon and fled to Georgia."

She was out and CHOSE to go back

[niyad]

22. You have no idea of what kinds of threats or coercion may have been involved. Such

things are fairly common in DV situations.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. The "awkward position" is our criminal justice system. If it's awkward, maybe it's not justice.

What is justice, in this scenario?