The abused wife who killed her husband but was acquitted of his murder surrendered herself to authorities yesterday. Barbara Sheehan, 50, beat the murder charge but was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon—she used two guns to shoot her husband Raymond, a retired cop, 11 times in their Howard Beach home in 2008—and she went to jail ahead of her lawyers' appeals. According to WPIX 11, "It was an emotional morning as Sheehan's daughter, sister and mother all wept in court while Sheehan resolutely offered her hands to a court officer who cuffed her and took her off to Riker's Island."
Sheehan's son told WCBS 2, “I’m very scared for her. I’m scared for what she has to go through and I’m worried about her … that she’s in there right now... She saved my life and she saved her own. Because my father was a monster and what she did … I believe he would have killed her and he probably would have killed us, me and my sister as well. I seen everything that she went through. I know what she went through and I know she’s my hero for what she did.”
The NY Times reports, "During the discussion on whether to extend bail, Justice Leventhal of the Appellate Division, who has extensive experience adjudicating domestic violence cases, appeared receptive to the defense’s argument that it had legal scope to appeal the gun possession verdict. The judge indicated that the fact that Ms. Sheehan did not appear to have harbored the second gun for a prolonged period could potentially be an issue on appeal. The judge also indicated that Ms. Sheehan’s sentence could be reduced if the defense successfully argued that she was a battered woman. But he allowed that the jury’s decision to acquit Ms. Sheehan of murder but find her guilty of possessing the second gun did raise questions."
Sheehan faces a minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison; her lawyer Michael Dowd said, ""The first time I met Barbara Sheehan was on Riker's Island, she said to me then, at least I'm safe. We believe the law will make her free."
