OK Survivor Justice Coalition
Home
Legislation
Survivorship
The Stories
OK Survivor Justice Coalition
Home
Legislation
Survivorship
The Stories
More
  • Home
  • Legislation
  • Survivorship
  • The Stories
  • Home
  • Legislation
  • Survivorship
  • The Stories

These are the stories of Oklahoma's criminalized survivors.

We first want to recognize the bravery and transparency with which these survivors have come to tell their stories. They recognize more than anyone else that the system is not set up to believe them or to hear their side of the story, we aim for our efforts to help begin the process of repair and justice. 


The system of policing and prosecution is set up to intervene in the middle of a cycle of violence, and to determine which charges are the easiest for which to get a conviction. Often that cycle of violence included horrific acts against the survivor, and those acts usually go completely unpunished–many times for years. When the criminal justice system decides to take action against a survivor, their status as “victim” is erased and they become “defendant,” irrespective of the crimes perpetrated against them.


To question, blame, and nit pick the facts of these cases only serves to further isolate these survivors who are currently serving their sentences which stem from their victimization. Our hope in sharing these stories is to gather a community of direct support for these survivors. 


Survivors deserve safety and freedom. 


In sharing these stories we do not pretend that any of these survivors are perfect human beings. We resist the model of a “perfect victim” – the idea that only those survivors who fit into what we as a society view as the standard of victimhood are deserving of justice and a life without the violence of their partners, friends, and incarceration. There are no perfect survivors, there are human beings who deserve much more than Oklahoma’s legal system has provided them. We choose to fight for the freedom of these people, and we hope you’ll join us. 


The stories below were sent to us after a criminalized survivor, April Wilkens, began an independent survey of the women inside Mabel Bassett Correctional Center. Each story is being shared with the explicit permission of the survivor who lived it.

APRIL WILKENS

April Wilkens was handcuffed and fighting for her life when she shot her abuser in self defense.

In the mid 90s, April Wilkens was a single mom who owned her own business in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was a graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. She found herself in an abusive relationship that escalated every time she tried to leave. Her abuser, Terry Carlton, beat, raped, and stalked April until their relationship culminated in a fight for April's life on April 28, 1999. In the early morning hours, April was beaten, raped, and ultimately handcuffed in the basement of Terry's home. In the chaos of the events leading up to the shooting, April managed to get the gun Terry had threatened her with earlier in the evening and emptied the clip - while handcuffed - as Terry lunged at her, furious she had the gun. Terry succumbed to his injuries. April told the police everything that happened. She was tried and convicted of First Degree Murder and sentenced to LIFE in prison. Learn more about April's case and her fight for freedom at FreeAprilWilkens.com, and follow her advocacy on twitter, facebook, and instagram.

Shari McDonald

In 1981, Shari was coerced into committing a crime by her abusive husband.

On November 3rd, 1981, Shari Lee McDonald was threatened by her abusive husband into helping him attempt a robbery on a Church’s Chicken. She and her husband went to Church’s Chicken before a doctor’s appointment for their two week old child. Her husband told Shari he had a job interview there. In the chaos, Shari’s husband assaulted two employees, one of which later died from injuries. 


Shari was convicted of murder in the first degree and assault and battery with an intent to kill. She was sentenced to LIFE plus 20 years. Much later, Shari filed an Application for Post-Conviction Relief. Enclosed in this Application was a filed letter from Alan McDonald in 1982 stating that he wanted to testify for his wife, she had no intention to hurt anyone or knowledge of the robbery, he forced her participation, and she only held up the establishment but he did the rest of it. Alan also wrote that he had been physically abusive with Shari in the past when he should have sat down and talked. This is consistent with her testimony that she was forced to participate and she did not know the employees had been beaten until afterwards.

Loretta Felts

Loretta stood her ground in self defense.

Loretta Lynn Felts was charged with Murder in the 1st Degree in Pontotoc County for the death of Marcus Watson, her boyfriend. Loretta had called police on Marcus several times for domestic abuse. According to Loretta, officers told Marcus if he didn’t leave marks on her there was nothing they could do. On May 25, 2012, an argument between Loretta and Marcus turned into a violent attack and Loretta stabbed Marcus in the stomach in self-defense. Once it happened, she ran to her neighbor, Stephen Howell’s door, to tell him and get help for Marcus. Ada police officers responded to the call. Loretta stayed by his side, trying to calm him down and apologized over and over. Marcus died from his injuries later that evening. During the preliminary hearing in her murder case, a neighbor of Marcus and Loretta testified Marcus was violent with Loretta in the past, including admitting to previously sexually assaulting her. Loretta Felts entered a blind plea - meaning she pled guilty and was at the mercy of the court to decide her punishment, without a plea deal from the prosecutor. Loretta was ultimately convicted of Murder in the 2nd degree and sentenced to 22 years.

Erica Lashon Harrison

Erica was in fear of her life.

On March 15, 2013, Erica Lashon Harrison shot Calvin Lee Anderson outside of her apartment. Calvin was a previous family friend who raped and choked her on the day of the shooting. She called 911 for help, but help had not yet arrived. According to Erica she was standing outside waiting for police after she had called 911. She said the police cars passed by her, which left her standing with Calvin confronting her. Erica testified that when he came back a third time after she told him to stay away, that she shot him in self-defense. Erica was convicted of manslaughter in the 1st degree - heat of passion. She was originally sentenced to 25 years, but later resentenced to 20. 

Micca Thompson

Micca fought for her life.

On June 1, 2017, Ronnie Beetz came back to the home where his live-in girlfriend of over a decade, Micca, and children lived. The two got into an argument. During the argument, Micca was choked and slapped by Ronnie. In the midst of the fight, Micca ended up stabbing Ronnie in the abdomen in self-defense. Micca called Tulsa Police at 1:37 a.m. on June 1st and told them just that. The abuse had been going on for years. Ronnie later passed away during surgery. Micca was convicted of Manslaughter 1st Degree (heat of passion), unlawful possession of a drug, and paraphernalia. She was sentenced to seven years. 

Groundbreaking Panel discussion on criminalized survival

Watch this video and learn the ways to support these survivors.

Copyright © 2023 OK Survivor Justice Coalition - All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept