Gov. Commutes Sentence In Ellsworth Patricide

Gov. Commutes Sentence In Ellsworth Patricide
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
ELLSWORTH — Governor John E. Baldacci has commuted the prison sentence of Carol Graves of Hancock, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of her father.

Graves was 36 when she killed her father in 1996. She had been severely physically, emotionally and sexually abused by her father beginning at age 5, the governor’s office stated in a press release.

Graves has been in prison since 1997. She was advised of the commutation on Monday. She was scheduled for release on Sept. 9, 2011. The commutation will reduce her sentence by 18 months.

At the time of the killing, Graves was suicidal, suffering from Battered Women’s Syndrome and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the Governor’s office stated. Graves opted for a plea bargain instead of going to trial and using that information as a defense.

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