Gloria Jean Leathers, 29, was shot in the abdomen in the parking lot of The Village Police Department on December 1, 1988, after a dispute with her live-in girlfriend, Wanda Jean Allen. The couple had a history of violent arguments that frequently required police involvement. Gloria had gone to the station with her mother, Ruby Wilson, intending to file a complaint; Allen followed them and, as Gloria exited the car, fired a single shot. Gloria’s mother was the only eyewitness to the shooting, and officers inside the station heard the gunfire.

Gloria died of her injuries on December 5, 1988, after identifying Allen as her shooter. Allen was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. At trial the jury rejected Allen’s claim of self-defense, convicted her of first-degree murder on April 19, 1989, and recommended the death penalty after learning of a prior manslaughter conviction from 1981.