Parole Denied for Woman who put Baby in Oven
The daughter of the woman convicted of murder for putting her in the oven in 2002 takes the stand at a parole hearing.
Melissa Wright is currently in Tutwiler Prison serving out her 25 year prison sentence.
She was convicted in 2003 for attempted murder of her one year old daughter, Ashley.
“At the time it happened, the evidence showed that Melissa had removed the racks out of the oven, turned it to broil, waited for it to heat up and put Ashley head first into that oven,” said D.A. Randall Houston.
Ashley received 3rd degree burns all over her body and has had 28 surgeries throughout her life.
Ashley, now 15 years old, took the stand at the parole hearing Tuesday reading a letter she wrote to the parole board asking them to keep her mother in prison.
“I can’t imagine anyone in as much pain as I’ve gone through mentally and physically. I now have a great life thanks to my mom, step dad, brothers and sisters. I do not hate Melissa. But I do not love her. I forgave Melissa. But I still do not want her around any other children to give her another chance to hurt anymore innocent children,” said Ashley.
Ashley wasn’t the only one there.
Her older sister, Courtney Brunson, visits her mother and pleaded for the parole board to let her out.
“She is on the right medication to help her with her mental illness…. I feel like she has changed. When I go visit her… I can tell a difference in her,” said Brunson.
But at the end of the day the board denied the parole.
“If Melissa would have gotten out today she could have tried to enforce her legal parental rights and that would have been a horrible thing for Ashley to have to go through,” said Houston.
