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    Betty Smithey, longest-serving female prison inmate, released

    For the past 49 years, Betty Smithey has woken up in a prison cell, the nation's longest serving female inmate. But on Tuesday, she woke up a free woman.

    Smithey, now 69, was granted parole by the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency on Monday. She was released from the Arizona State Prison Complex in Perryville, walking with a cane.

    "It's wonderful driving down the road and not seeing any barbed wire," Smithey told the Arizona Republic. "I am lucky, so very lucky."

    At age 20, Smithey was convicted in the 1963 New Year's Day murder of Sandy Gerberick, a 15-month-old girl she had been babysitting.

    Smithey was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. According to Arizona law at the time she was sentenced, only the governor could grant her clemency.

    She tried, appealing to then-governors Fyfe Symington and Janet Napolitano, but was denied until Jan Brewer, the current governor, agreed to lower her sentence to 48 years to life.

    Smithey will live with her niece in Mesa, Ariz.

    Smithey has battled breast cancer and "a myriad of other health issues," said her attorney, Andy Silverman

    "She's absolutely not a threat to society. She's almost 70 years old now," Silverman said. "She's done a lot of reflection. Forty-nine years in prison, you think a lot about what you've been through."

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    5,448 comments

    • Prànava  •  8 hrs ago
      Why would anybody kill a baby?
      • Sidneyd 20 mins ago
        @killgore that microscopic bunch of cells has the complete unique DNA of a human being and therefore is human. BTW 90% of late term abortions are done for the convenience of the mother.
      • Travel Bureau 25 mins ago
        because they scream and cry and poop their pants,,lol
      • foxmulder241 34 mins ago
        Because some is sick and evil
    • Jeffro, Dad, Jeffery....  •  7 hrs ago
      What SHE'S been through? That 15 month old would be my age today. All it's been through is eternity.
      • Molly 4 mins 7 secs ago
        OH please, GOD???? Anna Davis why would God let a baby be subjected to such a life/death. That child did nothing wrong. Let that woman out, why should we pay for her medical bills, as her attorney says "a myriad of other health issues," well that sounds expensive, hey maybe the attorney will pay her medical bills
      • marie 13 mins ago
        @Courtney, i do not believe murdering her for what she did makes it any better. That is just an easy way out, although the parents of this innocent baby would get relief and justice, it woiuld only be for a little while, the pain of losing a loved one never leaves it just lies dormant til birthday's, memories, or the talk of said individual comes around.
      • Val 14 mins ago
        CoCo..who is blaming God for this? We have free will. This woman was a throw away child, abused mentally, physically and sexually growing up. She was screwed up but that did not make it okay for her to kill. At her age and after what she has done, who would trust her to live with them or employ her? Either way the tax payer has and will continue to support her. AZ Governor has a screw loose to think she is no longer a threat. Did she take advantage of the free education offered while in jail or psychological counseling to deal with her childhood? How does she live with the guilt of taking a baby's life?
        Chief Dan K...your not a Christian? Amen to that! Maybe YOU should look at the huge log in your own eye before you start preaching about others forgiveness.
    • Bingo  •  8 hrs ago
      Interesting, when do the parents of the 15 month old child get out of their prison...?
      • B 1 hr 3 mins ago
        were talking murder one on an infant I, not j walking, thats the biggest load of horse #$%$ ive ever heard.
      • Dignified 1 hr 52 mins ago
        People, this is not a political article. If you want to make a political statement click on over to an article about Obama or Romney.
      • cow town 1 hr 56 mins ago
        Regan was Hollywood,worst debt spending in American history Bush broke his record and know there trying to blame on Dems like always.
    • News Mongrel  •  3 hrs ago
      She gets treatment for cancer, then gets set free. My dear auntie who was a loving giving person all her life, died because she couldn't afford treatment for her cancer. Please forgive me if I am a bit bitter about that.
      • MarkM 10 mins ago
        My grandmother died of breast cancer and it took my grandfather 10 years to pay off the hospital bills. Nothing like 10 years of steady reminders coming in the form of bills.
      • Drew Taylor 29 mins ago
        Actually, Terri, to Lynn and NM this is a good time to talk about a bill that is designed to help ppl who are ill. Politics aside, the bill helps a lot of ppl who couldn't have before.
      • Terri J. 46 mins ago
        Shut up, Lynn. This is not the place to push your political agenda. Insurance doesn't cover the entire cost, some of it is still the patients responsibility.
    • D  •  7 hrs ago
      She has a history of kidnapping a child, and murdering a child. She should've died in prison!
      • Bret 3 mins 44 secs ago
        Michael Patton your an idiot.
      • Michael Patton 10 mins ago
        Really? U want to kill a 70 year old that doesn't affect you. Maybe some day when you're 70 i'LL hang you myself : D
      • BRUNO 1 hr 20 mins ago
        Wonder why the little-tidbit about the kidnapping and/or escapes wasn't included in the above "feel-good" story opp...???

        Definitely could, and would, sway me on a jury...
    • wasabi  •  Fort Myers, Florida  •  7 hrs ago
      In 1963 she strangled 14-month-old Sandy Gerberick to death. Previously, she kidnapped toddler Mitchell Johnson in 1959. She also escaped from prison 4 times. And they let her out. Nice move Jane Brewer.
    • J12jetmurch  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  8 hrs ago
      Not a threat ,she looks mean as hell.Anyone found guilty of killing a child should never be released.
    • Anonymous.  •  Elmhurst, Illinois  •  6 hrs ago
      If this bleeping baby killer was sentenced to life without parole, why was she granted clemency?! The mere fact that she grew old isn't reason enough to let her go!
    • KY - Mike  •  Louisville, Kentucky  •  6 hrs ago
      Killing is bad enough, but they used the word murdered to describe what she did to a 15 month old baby. No clemency for that! Jan Brewer got this on wrong!
    • Stephanie  •  Danville, West Virginia  •  6 hrs ago
      To kill a child, she should stay in for life.
    • Greg  •  5 hrs ago
      She did it, she should have died in prison, simple.
    • Leticia  •  8 hrs ago
      in this picture she look mad and ready to kick some body's butt. she is going to live with her niece , hope she does not have any little ones because even if she is 69 that don't mean nothing she can still harm some one.
    • Randall  •  Edinburg, Virginia  •  8 hrs ago
      The 15 month old baby got life.....so should she.....life....
    • lawrence  •  Butler, Pennsylvania  •  8 hrs ago
      They should have let her die in prison. If you kill a child you should pay the price and when you are sentanced to life w/o the possibility of parole thats what you should serve
    • Sally G  •  8 hrs ago
      To be honest, she will probably have a very difficult time adjusting to life in the outside world. How things turn out remain to be seen. Yes, she had a hard life...but many, many people have a hard life and don't commit murder. She also kidnapped a child in 1959! Life should mean LIFE...until the day you DIE!
    • Drunken Joe Biden  •  Tallahassee, Florida  •  7 hrs ago
      She murdereed a 15 month old baby and she's still alive and being set free? Amazing. She should have died in a cage...
    • Perry  •  Bartlesville, Oklahoma  •  7 hrs ago
      That's what's wrong with long "life" sentences instead of a quickly executed death penalty. Now it's about some poor old lady battling breast cancer and walking with a cane. Very little intrest in the 15 month olf victim. No doubt we'll continue providing her income and health care.
    • Peter Griffin  •  6 hrs ago
      Smithey was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole....Yeah, and that point is MOOT!
    • Insidious Banana  •  6 hrs ago
      If she killed a 15-month-old girl then she should have been executed.
    • djm  •  Indianapolis, Indiana  •  5 hrs ago
      Life w/o parole should mean just that.