World Day Against the Death Penalty – WOMEN on Death Row – Part 2: Tiffany Cole, Florida (USA)

WOMEN sentenced to death:
An invisible reality

On October 10, 2021, the 19th World Day Against the Death Penalty is dedicated to women ,

who are at risk of being sentenced to death ,

who have received a death sentence ,

who have been executed, and

those whose death sentence has been commuted or overturned for innocence.

Tiffany Cole is 39 years young and has been on death row in the state of Florida for 13 years. She is one of three women there awaiting execution. She was sentenced to death in March 2008. At the time, Tiffany was one of the youngest women ever sentenced to death at the age of 26.

Like many offenders, Tiffany had a difficult childhood. Sexually abused by her father as a child, she looked for love in all the wrong places and found it with a criminal, committing a robbery with him and two other men that began with a kidnapping and ended in a double murder. Her story has been filmed to media acclaim for some documentary series, where the focus is more on the gruesome depiction of the crime and not the people behind it.

In a 2015 interview for ABC News, you get a little insight into Tiffany’s soul. She reflects on her life and says, “I am not the same person anymore. I have peace, I have joy. I have a sound mind.” (“I am not the same person anymore. I have peace, I have joy. I have a sound mind.”) Self-help books and religion have changed everything for her. She believes in forgiveness and hope.

She may also have this hope regarding her sentence, as in 2008 the jury did not unanimously vote for the death penalty. In 2017, the Florida Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing hearing for Tiffany. This is still pending.

When we asked if she would like to contribute to our Women on Death Row project for this year’s World Day Against the Death Penalty on October 10, 2021, Tiffany sent us a charcoal drawing she had made and had this to say: “Nothing is impossible with God! And His love can permanently change you from the inside out.”

Her creation is titled “Prayer & the Power of it”. With this drawing she wants to show how powerful prayers are and how much they can change us. The power of prayers and the love of God have driven out the hatred in her.

Prayer & the Power of it – by Tiffany Cole, FL

Several women in U.S. death row are seeking pen pals through our website – such as in Arizona (Sammantha U.), California (Tanya N. and Cherie R.), Mississippi (Lisa C.) and North Carolina (Carlette P.).

Diana Koehler
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

4 Kommentare zu “World Day Against the Death Penalty – WOMEN on Death Row – Part 2: Tiffany Cole, Florida (USA)”

4 thoughts on “World Day Against the Death Penalty – WOMEN on Death Row – Part 2: Tiffany Cole, Florida (USA)”

  1. Why are you solely defending women on death row when it’s a fact that MANY more men receive death sentences and it’s also MUCH more likely for a man to be sentenced to death for the same crime as the justice system is already insanely lenient on female offenders.Also this woman deserves to die for what she did.

    1. Thanks for you comment.

      We are aware of the fact that many more male prisoners are affected. Each year the World Day Against the Death Penalty has a special focus – this year it was women who are often forgotten, because they are just a few. In this website (life-on-deathrow.jimdofree.com/) you find 100+ contributions of male prisoners on death row we collected – you see we are not solely focused on women.

      Thank God, it’s not up to you to judge if Tiffany Cole deserves to die. In my opinion it’s not the question anyway. The death penalty creates only more hurt and grief, and nobody gains anything from it.

      – German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty –

  2. In the new sentencing trial, jurors voted 10-2 to give Tiffany Cole a life sentence. And members of the victim’s family have forgiven her! Those who continue to want her executed should take a lesson from this…. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zywUcW9ORB4

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