Abbeville woman petitions to keep mother in prison
VERMILION PARISH, La (KLFY) -- An Abbeville woman wants her mother to remain in prison and has asked Governor Edwards not to pardon her.
In 2010, Denna DeCuir was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison for shooting her husband Milton DeCuir seven times in the head. After 13 years in prison, DeCuir could be released, and her daughter Shena DeCuir is completely against it. She wants to know how and why this is possible.
"I'm hurt, I'm heartbroken, I really feel actually cheated. She's not innocent at all. She's not," said Shena.
Denna was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison without the possibility of parole or early release. Now, 13 years later Denna is facing the possibility of being free, and her daughter Shena, is completely against it.
"I'm upset but it's mainly almost like a spit in the face. It's very disrepectful to me but of course for my father becasue he's not here and that's not by chose so I am his voice ," said Shena.
Shena says she recently found out her mother applied for early release back in 2020 and she's even more upset that she was not notified. She says this has left her with questioning how this possible.
"I've always been aware of the pardon hearing this and that. I was always assured she's going to be denied because it's in the court minutes there is no chance you can't. Whenever you took the plea deal that's what it was. That was your leniency there instead of dying in prison. You're going to get thirty-five years," said Shena.
Shena says it's not right or is it fair her mother could get the chance to be free when there are innocent people incarcerated.
"Again how? How is this possible? Why is this possible? Who made this possible and that's who I want answers from. The ones who are signing this. Who are pushing this," said Shena.
In an effort to keep Denna behind bars for the death of her father, Shena has started a petition asking for signatures to stop the pardon and or release of her mother.
Shena says she has been informed her mom could be released as early as 2030 but she is fighting it because she wants to continue being a voice for the father she lost since he no longer has one.