COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A woman imprisoned for shooting her husband to death in a widely publicized 1993 crime was released on Thursday after Gov. Mike DeWine commuted her sentence.
On Tuesday, DeWine granted 55-year-old Michele Williams commutation, a form of clemency that reduces a penalty to a less severe one. She was released on parole two days later, according to a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC).
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In 1994, Michele Williams began serving a sentence of 15 years to life. She ultimately served 31 years before her release. Prior to the commutation, her next parole hearing was scheduled for October, according to the ODRC’s website.
“We’re shocked,” said Jessica Rudd, the niece of Greg Williams, whom Michele Williams pleaded guilty to murdering. “It’s unfortunate because the victim’s family has to relive this and know that we could bump into her at the grocery store.”…