In one of his final acts as governor, Tom Vilsack has shortened the sentence of a western Iowa woman who was convicted of killing her abusive husband.
In August of 2002, Dixie Shanahan of Defiance, shot her abusive husband, Scott, to death. She left his body on the bed for 14 months in the closed off the bedroom — until authorities searched the home and found the body.
Two years later, Shanahan was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to spend at least 35 years in prison. Governor Tom Vilsack has used his authority to commute the sentence, shortening the manditory amount of time she must spend behind bars to 10 years.
In a letter explaining his action (PDF), Vilsack cited reports of the abuse Scott Shanahan inflicted on his wife. But the governor said he did not make his decision "lightly" and Vilsack said the abuse she suffered did not excuse her from murdering her husband. Vilsack did say his decision "strikes a balance" between those who have argued she should not have spent any time behind bars and those who believe her previous sentence was appropriate.
Dixie Shanahan married Jeff Duty shortly before her conviction. The Iowa Supreme Court has just terminated Dixie Shanahan-Duty’s parental rights and given one of her sisters custody of the three Shanahan children.