Victim's family on eve of execution: focus on Doug, not Kelly

ATLANTA -- Kelly Gissendaner, Georgia's only woman on death row, is set to be executed Tuesday night. As her attorneys continue to appeal the execution, the victim's family wants to make sure people don't forget about the crime that is sending her there. 

Gissendaner was sentenced to death in  1998 after being convicted of recruiting her boyfriend to kill her husband, Doug. "He was a friendly, trusting, good-hearted soul with a smile that will never be forgotten.  He was undisputedly a family man, a great friend and an even greater father who loved and sacrificed everything for the sake of his daughter and two stepsons," a family spokesperson said."As the murderer, she's been given more rights and opportunity over the last 18 years than she ever afforded to Doug who, again, is the victim here.  She had no mercy, gave him no rights, no choices, nor the opportunity to live his life.  His life was not hers to take."

Read the full statement released through the Gwinnett County District Attorney's office: 

Kelly planned and executed Doug's murder.  She targeted him and his death was intentional.  Kelly chose to have her day in court and after hearing the facts of this case, a jury of her peers sentenced her to death.  In the last 18 years, our mission has been to seek justice for Doug's murder and to keep his memory alive. We have faith in our legal system and do believe that Kelly has been afforded every right that our legal system affords.  As the murderer, she's been given more rights and opportunity over the last 18 years than she ever afforded to Doug who, again, is the victim here.  She had no mercy, gave him no rights, no choices, nor the opportunity to live his life.  His life was not hers to take.

But we want to take this opportunity to ask you to focus on Doug, not Kelly.  For those of you who did not have the pleasure of knowing Doug, he was a truly wonderful person, the kind of selfless person who always thought of others instead of himself.  His last act on earth was helping his friends.  He was a friendly, trusting, good-hearted soul with a smile that will never be forgotten.  He was undisputedly a family man, a great friend and an even greater father who loved and sacrificed everything for the sake of his daughter and two stepsons.  For those of us that loved him, we will always feel great sorrow and indescribable pain at how he was so brutally taken from us, but also take comfort in knowing that he's in heaven waiting for each and every one of us to rejoin him someday.  

We would like to thank our family, friends and other supporters for your continued prayers and words of comfort and support.  We have been following online comments very closely and while we prefer to keep our privacy, know that we are truly thankful for your kind comments.

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