Josephine Gray, a Maryland woman dubbed the “Black Widow” for her alleged involvement in the deaths of two ex-husbands and a lover, was granted clemency by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
The decision, part of Biden’s initiative to reduce sentences for non-violent offenders, has stirred controversy and angered those familiar with Gray’s history.
Gray, now in her late 70s, gained notoriety for her flashy wardrobe and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of three men connected to her between 1974 and 1996. In 2002, she was convicted of insurance fraud related to these deaths and sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.
Investigators alleged that Gray either directly caused or conspired in the killings to collect insurance payouts. Evidence against her included voodoo-related items, such as dolls filled with needles, according to The New York Post.
Although initially charged with murder, Gray was only convicted of federal insurance fraud. Her defense successfully argued against further trials, citing her age and the likelihood that she would die in prison if convicted again.
Gray was among the 1,499 individuals whose sentences President Biden commuted as part of what the White House called the largest clemency effort in modern U.S. history.
The initiative aims to provide second chances to those deemed non-violent offenders. However, Gray’s inclusion on the list has raised eyebrows due to the nature of her alleged crimes.
“This doesn’t feel like a ‘rule of law’ moment for the Biden administration,” said James Trusty, the former federal prosecutor who led the case against Gray. “It pisses me off, as you can imagine,” he told The Washington Free Beacon.
Gray’s alleged victims included her two ex-husbands, Norman Stribbling and William Gray, and her lover, Clarence Goode. All were found shot dead in cars, and investigators painted a chilling picture of Gray as a manipulative woman who used her charm—and possibly voodoo practices—to incite violence.
“Like the black widow spider, she basically kills her mates—and in this particular case, she did it three times,” said Douglas Gansler, Montgomery County State’s Attorney, during an interview with NBC’s Today Show in 2002.
Prosecutors alleged that Gray convinced her lover, Clarence Goode, to murder her second husband, William Gray. Later in 1996, Clarence himself was found dead in his car under suspicious circumstances.
Lenron Goode, Clarence’s brother, recalled Gray’s unsettling presence. “Sometimes you can sit in church and look at a person and see something else in them,” he said in 2002. “You can see the devil come out of Josephine.”
The White House did not provide specific reasons for Gray’s selection for clemency. In a general statement about the initiative, President Biden emphasized the importance of second chances.
“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said. “I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities.”
He added, “I will take more steps in the weeks ahead. My administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law.”
Critics, including Gray’s former prosecutors, argue that her inclusion undermines the administration’s stated goals of fairness and justice. Trusty and others pointed to the violent nature of her alleged crimes as evidence that she does not fit the profile of a non-violent offender deserving of clemency.
The controversy over Gray’s release is likely to reignite debates about the scope of presidential clemency powers and the balance between justice and mercy in high-profile cases.