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Thread: Sidney Porterfield - Tennessee

  1. #1
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    Sidney Porterfield - Tennessee


    Ronald Owens


    Sidney Porterfield


    Summary of Offense:

    Sidney Porterfield, was convicted for the February 17, 1985 bludgeoning murder of Ronald Owens with a tire iron upon being hired to do so by Owens' wife, Gaile Owens.

    Porterfield was sentenced to death on February 21, 1986.

    Owens' death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Governor of Tennessee.

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    June 8, 2010

    Competency hearing set for hired killer on death row

    A hearing date was set today to determine if the hired killer of a Bartlett man is mentally retarded and thus not eligible for the death penalty.

    Sidney Porterfield, 67, one of the oldest men on Tennessee's death row, was convicted in 1986 and sentenced to death for bludgeoning Ronald Owens to death with a tire iron.

    Under the law, a condemned prisoner must understand that he or she is to be executed and understand why. A hearing is set for Sept. 30 before Senior Judge Donald Harris.

    Owens' wife, Gaile Owens, who was convicted of hiring Porterfield to kill her husband, also is on death row with an execution date of Sept. 28. Her attorneys are appealing to Gov. Phil Bredesen to commute her sentence to life in prison or release.

    She is 1 of only 2 women on death row in Tennessee. There are 87 men.

    (Source: The Memphis Commercial Appeal)

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    Convicted Hitman Wants Off Death Row

    In 1985 Gaile Owens and Sidney Porterfield were convicted in the death of Owens husband. Both were sentenced to death. But, this past summer Governor Phil Bredesen commuted Owens' sentence. Now Porterfield wonders why he's still on death row.

    "I shouldn't be on death row. They know I shouldn't be on death row. No proof to say I should be on death row," said Porterfield in an exclusive interview from death row with Newschannel5's Nick Beres.

    A jury convicted Owens of hiring Porterfield. They also convicted Porterfield of beating her husband to death with a tire iron.

    Porterfield did confess to his involvement in the crime, but later changed his story. Now he said he is not the one Owens hired and he'd like her to speak out.

    "I would like any help I can get. I would appreciate it, but I can't make that decision for her," said Porterfield.

    Porterfield has written Owens once but has not heard back. She is eligible to get out of prison next year. Porterfield's case is now before the state court of criminal appeals.

    Owens declined our request for an interview.

    (Source: Newschannel5)

  4. #4
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    Hit man in Gail Owens case wants new trial

    Security was extra Tuesday tight as officers took up positions at a hearing for Sidney Porterfield.

    Nearly 26 years ago, Porterfield was convicted of beating Ron Owens to death in a plot with Owens wife to murder her husband inside their Bartlett home.

    In an amazing series of events back in September, Gaile Owens was released from death row after former Governor Phil Bredesen commuted her sentence.

    The move followed claims that Owens had been abused by her husband.

    "At a point of desperation I drove through Memphis in search of someone who would kill my husband," Owens said.

    Sidney Porterfield was convicted of being the hit man Gaile Owens paid to beat her husband Ron to death, and now, just weeks after Owens walked to freedom, Porterfield showed up in a Memphis courtroom to ask for new trial.

    In making a case for his freedom, Porterfield's attorneys argued their client received inadequate counsel in his original murder case.

    But they may be facing an uphill battle. Porterfield's new attorneys claim he is mentally incompetent, and if his original attorney had presented that information to the court, Porterfield would have gotten life instead of the death penalty.

    Porterfield tried the inadequate counsel defense during an earlier court case and was denied. Whether that defense will work this time will depend on what the judge decides.

    http://www.wmctv.com/story/15990180/...ants-new-trial

  5. #5
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    Sidney Porterfield v. State of Tennessee

    Memphis death row inmate loses bid to be declared intellectually disabled

    The second oldest inmate on Tennessee’s death row has lost his appeal seeking to be declared intellectually disabled which would have made him ineligible to be executed.

    Sidney Porterfield, who turned 70 this year, has been on death row since 1986 for the contract killing of Ronald Owens of Bartlett man whom he beat to death with a tire iron.

    Porterfield was hired by the victim’s wife, Gaile Owens, whose death sentence was commuted to life two years ago by then-Gov. Phil Bredesen who decided she may have been an abused spouse.

    She was granted parole in October of 2011.

    This week the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals upheld a lower court finding by Senior Judge Donald Harris that Porterfield, who ran an air conditioning and refrigeration repair business, did not meet the criteria to be declared intellectually disabled.

    Porterfield held a variety of jobs in civilian life, including cook, bartender, fork life operator and air conditioning and refrigeration repairman.

    “The court found that (Porterfield’s) ability to function on the job, show up for work, perform the assigned tasks and maintain employment did not appear to be impaired,” the three-judge appeals panel said. “The court also found that at the time of the commission of the offense the petitioner was able ‘to cope with common life demands and live independently.’”

    Porterfield is one of 81 inmates on the state’s death row. No execution date is set.

    http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...D=happeningnow
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    Convicted murderer from Memphis dies on death row

    A convicted murderer from Memphis on death row died from natural causes Wednesday, officials said.

    Sidney Porterfield, who was sentenced to death in 1986 for the contract killing of Ronald Owens of Bartlett, was pronounced dead at 2:47 p.m., according to the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He was 71.

    Porterfield confessed to killing Owens, saying he was hired for the job by the victim’s wife, Gaile Owens. Gaile Owens was also convicted and sentenced to death in the same trial in 1986.

    Owens admitted to offering several men up to $15,000 to kill her husband, who was an associate director of nursing at Baptist Hospital. Her death sentence was eventually commuted to life by then-Gov. Phil Bredesen, who decided she may have been an abused spouse. She was granted parole in October 2011.

    Porterfield was accused of severely beating Owens to death, hitting him in the head 21 times.

    Porterfield was also the member of an extended family that has long had run-ins with the law, a 2009 investigation by The Commercial Appeal revealed.

    Porterfield and his extended family were involved in at least 14 shootings, four murders and countless break-ins and assaults, totaling more than 400 arrests.

    http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...dies-on-death/
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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