Former lawmaker, co-author of Oklahoma Survivors’ Act thankful for Lisa Moss release
SEMINOLE, Okla. (KFOR) — A former Oklahoma representative says he's thankful a woman serving a life sentence for her role in her husband's 1990 murder is getting a second chance under the Oklahoma Survivors' Act.
A Seminole County judge ruled Wednesday that Lisa Moss could go free after spending over three decades in prison for conspiracy and first-degree felony murder for the death of her husband, Lanny Mike Moss.
Lisa had returned home from work when she found her husband dead inside, and the room where he was found in, was ravaged. It was later determined by the Chief Medical Examiner that Lanny had two gunshot wounds to his head.
Following the death of her husband, both Lisa and her brother, Richard Lee Wright, were arrested. According to OCCA, Lisa later admitted to speaking to her brother several days prior to the death of her husband, asking him to kill her husband.
Her brother confessed to pulling the trigger. He was also charged with murder in the case.
During an appeal for a lesser sentence, attorneys representing Moss claimed she is a survivor of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse and that Lanny repeatedly raped her. Attorneys also claimed that Lanny molested Lisa’s daughter for several months.
Both she and Wright have been serving life sentences for their crimes.
The Oklahoma Survivors' Act started as a bill co-authored by state lawmakers, including former representative Jon Echols, who spoke with News 4 Wednesday. The law limits sentences for domestic violence survivors who can prove the abuse played a significant factor in their crime, which Moss was able to do.
"I feel great," said Echols. "This is exactly the type of case this act was intended for."
Echols says seeing Moss go free shows him that creating the bill was the right thing to do, even if state lawmakers had to override a veto from Governor Kevin Stitt to get that accomplished. Echols says he sees the law as it stands, as a very good victims protection law that he believes will be applied when necessary. He believes judges are smart and will be able to discern when lawyers are trying to misapply the law.
"I don't think judges will go for it," said Echols. "It's not a get out of jail free card. This is for those victims and standing up for them."
Echols says when an average person reads the facts of Moss' case, they're likely to find them to be horrific. He pointed out that Oklahoma is number one in the nation for women who are abused by men.
News 4 spoke with domestic violence expert Margaret Black on Wednesday, who testified on Moss' behalf. She said cases like Moss' are part of a troubling trend.
"I am not ever advocating for the ending of someone's life, but I think that there is a real sense of helplessness that comes along with experiencing the multitude of abuse that Lisa experienced," said Margaret Black, with Domestic Violence Intervention Services.
News 4 asked Echols what message he believes Moss' case sends to Oklahomans and other victims who have asked or may ask to be resentenced as well.
"The message this sends is the rule of law matters in the state of Oklahoma," said Echols. "We are going to stand up for domestic abuse survivors."
News 4 asked both Moss and Echols about Moss' brother, Wright, who testified on her behalf Wednesday. Although she'll have a second chance, as the law currently stands, he's staying in prison.
"I definitely hope and pray that there will be some relief for him," said Moss.
Echols didn't agree with her and said he wouldn't support an application of the law in the same way the Survivors' Act helped Moss since Wright wasn't the victim of the abuse.
"Two people did take responsibility," said Echols. "I don't think that it should apply to her brother, but I am glad that it applies to her."