Woman convicted of killing ex-boyfriend asks for early release through Survivors Act
OKLAHOMA COUNTY (KFOR) – An Oklahoma City woman, in prison for shooting and killing her ex-boyfriend, has requested a hearing for her case to be considered under the Survivors Act.
Tyesha Long was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the death of Ray Brown. He was killed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bricktown in 2020. Her attorney from Oklahoma Appleseed requested that the judge consider a lesser sentence.
Long’s hearing lasted two days with several witnesses taking the stand. One was a digital expert who described threatening text messages sent from Brown to Long, as well as pictures found on Long’s phone of bruising on her body.
A domestic abuse expert also took the stand and talked about signs of domestic violence in relationships. She detailed experiences Long shared with her, including being repeatedly punched in the face, strangled, and raped.
The State argued that the abuse came from both sides and claimed Long was not completely truthful about the abuse or the couple’s relationship.
Online court records showed Long filed a protective order against Brown in 2019, which was issued by the courts just months before the shooting. Weeks before that, Long filed a civil suit against Brown for trying to run her off the road. The case ended up being dismissed.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Long’s attorney also talked about a police report she filed against Brown, but the DA’s office said there was not enough evidence to file charges.
"It seems to be a lot more intense than what I went through," said Lisa Wright, formerly Lisa Moss.
Wright was sitting in the courtroom on Tuesday. She was the first woman in Oklahoma to walk free through the Survivors Act.
"Nobody understands what it feels like to be a survivor and to continue to try to go through your daily routine, knowing what you're going through at home,” said Wright. “You kind of live two different lives. You have to be okay out here. You don't want anybody to see what you're going through, but nobody understands."
Oklahoma County Judge Susan Stallings presided over the hearing and said she would consider all of the evidence and testimony before making her decision sometime in September.