Arizona Woman Gets Life in Prison for Killing Husband With a Hammer: 36-Year-Old Mother Claims Self-Defense
Marissa Devault from Arizona was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for killing her husband with a hammer.
ABC News reports that the judge also denied Devault her quest for parole after serving 25 years in prison.
DeVault was convicted in January 2009 for killing her husband Dale Harrell with a hammer. Devault reportedly pleaded self-defense as the reason for attacking her husband.
The 36-year-old mother claimed that Harrell was an abusive husband and she was trying to protect herself on the day of the murder.
However, the prosecution claimed that Devault's murder was because of a failed bid to collect on a life insurance policy to repay approximately $300,000 in loans from her boyfriend.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge, Ronald Steinle denied Devault's request for parole and Devault's daughters' request for leniency with their mother because Steinle believes Devault was full of greed.
According to ABC, Devault's daughters cried throughout their plea to the judge that their mother should be given the lenient sentence.
Even Devault's oldest child, Rhiannon-Skye Devault-Harrell alluded to the fact that her father may have in fact been abusive to Devault.
"My dad was much stronger than you think, and if he wanted to leave, he would have," Rhiannon said.
Despite, Harrell's children taking their mother's defense, the Harrell family and Devault's former boyfriend told a different story about how they felt toward the 36 year-old convicted murderer.
Devault's former boyfriend, Allen Flores, revealed in court that Devault wanted to either hire someone to kill Harrell, or kill him herself and tell police he tried to rape her after a night of drinking.
Harrell's sister Melinda Artup went on to say that Devault labeling Harrell as an abuser was a lie and an attempt to ruin his reputation.
"She tried to taint my brother's name," Artrup said in court.
Before her sentencing, Devault said, "I wish I had known all the things I know now so I could make healthier choices."
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