Paula Cooper, 43, (Pictured above) was convicted in the 1985 murder of Ruth Pelke, who was found stabbed 33 times across her chest as part of a home invasion. Cooper will be released today after her death penalty punishment nearly 30 years ago raised international attention.
Cooper, of Gary Ind., was 15 when she and three other teenage girls showed up at Ruth Pelke’s house on May 14, 1985, with plans of robbing the 78-year-old Bible school teacher. Pelke (in the photo below), let Cooper and two of the teen’s companions into her Gary home after they told her they were interested in Bible lessons.
The girls were on their lunch break from high school.
As the fourth teen waited outside as a lookout, Cooper stabbed Pelke 33 times with a 12-inch butcher knife across her chest. Then she and the other girls ransacked the house.
Authorities said Pelke was praying the Lord’s Prayer while she was being brutally murdered. The four girls fled with the woman’s car and $10.
Cooper’s three accomplices were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 25 to 60 years. But Cooper, who confessed to Pelke’s slaying, was convicted of murder and sentenced to die in the electric chair. At the time — in 1986 — she was the youngest death row inmate in the U.S.
Some people believed Cooper deserved to die, but the punishment enraged human rights activists and death penalty opponents around the world, including those who viewed the teen as a victim of a racist criminal justice system.
Pope John Paul II urged that Cooper be granted clemency in 1987, and in 1988 a priest brought a petition to Indianapolis with more than 2 million signatures protesting Cooper’s sentence.
The Indiana Supreme Court set Cooper’s death sentence aside in 1988 and ordered her to serve 60 years in prison instead.
Cooper told The Star newspaper in a jailhouse interview in 2004 that she was on the straight and narrow.
“Everybody has a responsibility to do right or wrong, and if you do wrong, you should be punished,” she said. “Rehabilitation comes from you. If you’re not ready to be rehabilitated, you won’t be.”
so she only served 27 of a 60 year sentence after killing an old woman smh 😥 wow.
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Damn she skated
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so she gettin a 2nd chance? wow
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so she gettin a 2nd chance? wow
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@Yasha, did Paula Pelke get a second chance? No!
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@Yasha, did Paula Pelke get a second chance? No!
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No but Paula Cooper has to live with that fact not me.
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@Yasha, did Paula Pelke get a second chance? No!
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The fact that she was praying while they were killing her was hard to read. Damn shame.
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I don’t believe justice was fully served in this case.
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She was young to have killed someone. so sad. i hope she makes use of her 2nd chance and become an upstanding law-abiding citizen
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Good morning Ceo Fam. 😆
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Morning Daisy Hope your weekend was fab 🙂
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Mornin Ladies
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good morning
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Moanin peeps
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Hey peoples. 😆
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good morning lady luvs.
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Hey Ceo’ers
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Hello good people.
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Zup y’all
I think I’ll enjoy this day off with some good ole IHOP and a nice blunt #don’tjudgeme
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good morning Monday *waves*
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What up yall~
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Morning
Morning
Morning people!~
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Morning Ceo Heifers & Shit
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Good Morning everyone!
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Sup
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So what’s the word? How the hell are y’all?
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Hey New Girl! @ Miss Ang.
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Morning Erbody!!!
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Fam!
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What the hell wrong with yall @ New Girl and Man…Is that all you see is each other? Smh
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Corp, you sound a lil salty Boo.
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Corp,
STOP attacking the new girl she can’t help it if @Man sweatin her 😆
Hey Fam
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I offended no one but said GOOD MORNING to EVERYONE.
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I offended no one but said GOOD MORNING to EVERYONE.
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You sure did and ain’t nobody mad at cha for it either 😆
Good morning back at cha @Miss Ang and anybody else rolling up in here after me.
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Hey yall.
Happy Monday
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I’m sleepy as chit *Yawns*
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Afternoon one and all.
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Hello Fam.
Miss Ang. Wassup.
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Good afternoon one and all.
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Hello everyone.
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heeeeeyyyy!!!!!!!
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Sup Ceo Peeps
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Good afternoon everybody.
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Hey Fam
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Hm….so many questions: is she getting released directly to the outside, or will she start in a half-way house, where she can be monitored more than on a weekly visit to a parole officer?
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where is the old woman’s family and why aren’t they protesting this girl’s release?
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She should have died already. I am so tired of society allowing AGE to let these teens do whatever the hell they want. 33 times she stabbed this woman and in the court pic she is smiling like she did something big, fuckin gangster!!
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I oppose the death penalty in all cases, but I do not believe that murderers should go free unless it was a self defense case which this was not.
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This is disgusting and sick. Who ever decide to set her free should be fired.
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I have a better idea, HOW about giving Mrs. Ruth Pelke, the victim, a second chance?
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You take a life? YOU DON’T DESERVE YOUR LIFE….POINT…BLANK….PERIOD!!!!
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You have to be seriously evil to stab an elderly person that many times. The first couple of jabs probably killed her, and the rest were just for fun. She is evil.
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Waits until better news is posted *yawns* this a damn shame though.
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Why do folks sincerely think child killers won’t grow up to be adult killers? I mean really. She killed once and she’ll likely kill again.
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That was a brutal murder. dayum!
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I have no problem with this.
She did her time.
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She did her time.
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Yeah but she better WATCH her back!
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She did her time.
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Yeah but she better WATCH her back!
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Word cause Karma is a bitch!
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Yeah but she better WATCH her back!
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Exactly cause she got blood on her hands.
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She’s middle aged now 43? Damn she only did 27 years.
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wonder how she feel being set free after only doing 27 years. she look happy as hell in that inset pic.
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If this chick got a pass on the death penalty she sure as hell should a did her 60 years in prison.
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str8 gangsta ms. cooper
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Good for her. May she stay on the str8 and narrow too.
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Her story is so rare…but her conscious should have dealt with her by now if she’s truly on the str8 and narrow.
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Not everyone will be so forgiving…..why should she have a life after taking someone’s life –
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She chopped a little old women into tiny pieces with a 12″ butcher knife for $10..she should have been put down like a rabid dog 20 years ago!
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ANGELHAIR do you know the difference between a stabbing and a chopping?
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she will be released and probably killed in a violent death. Then her family can wonder why and think back to this little old lady that was just teaching bible studies when these Hoodrats took her life.
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She should not be let out of prison. Ever…
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This is ridiculous. Why should she be walking the streets? She should be locked up. One violation and she should go back.
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I don’t care how young she was when she did the crime. I hope she dies a horrible death for killing this old woman.
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I’m confused.
Why was she set free? Makes no sense. Was it because of good behavior? Why was her 60 year sentence shortened?
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She’s free!
But in life you reap what you sow…so she better be careful.
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She’s free!
But in life you reap what you sow…so she better be careful.
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Which is why she really ain’t free. When you free the way she’s obtained freedom you will have to constantly watch yo back.
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But in life you reap what you sow
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cosign!!!!!!!!!!!
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This story is sad.
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Only God knows her heart.
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The part that hurts is, the woman was praying as they were killing her. 😥 damn shame.
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The part that hurts is, the woman was praying as they were killing her. damn shame.
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CoSign!
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Ain’t that much reformed in the world. I’m just curious as to why she didn’t serve her full sentence?
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Unbelievable!
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This story is disturbing.
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I couldn’t read this but I’m wondering how old the lady was when they killed her.
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Starr,
she was 78.
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Damn shame. whole story tragic.
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Oh this is too sad 😥
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😥
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Aw man so she and her friends did the crime at 16? wonder how her friends feel now that she’s been released. I would be pissed.
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she str8 gangsta.
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