Josephine Virginia Gray, a Maryland woman tied to the deaths of three men, has been freed under President Joe Biden’s clemency program. Gray, sentenced to 40 years in 2002 for insurance fraud, had collected payouts from policies on her two husbands and a boyfriend, all of whom she allegedly murdered.
Gray’s release has reignited criticism of Biden’s clemency spree, which the White House said targeted “non-violent offenders.” Critics argue Gray’s actions were anything but non-violent. James Trusty, the federal prosecutor who handled Gray’s case, said her crimes “put the lie to” the White House’s claims.
@JoeBiden ‘Black Widow,’ Who Murdered 3 Ex-Lovers, Freed in Biden’s Historic Clemency Spree.
A Maryland woman dubbed the "Black Widow" for murdering two husbands and a boyfriend for insurance money is now free after President Joe Biden commuted her 40-year prison
— Bad Optics 🇺🇸🐂 (@BadOptics4U) December 19, 2024
Court documents revealed Gray admitted to friends that she killed her first husband, Norman Stribbling, by staging a robbery. She confessed to killing her second husband, Robert Gray, with help from her boyfriend, Clarence Goode. Goode later became her third victim, with police finding evidence linking Gray to his murder.
Gray intimidated witnesses with threats of voodoo, silencing many from testifying. Maryland prosecutors declined to pursue murder charges, believing her federal sentence would keep her behind bars for life.
Black Widow Who Murdered Three Men Released by Joe Biden.https://t.co/DuZa9esF40
A Maryland woman who murdered two of her husbands and her boyfriend for the insurance payouts is the recipient of Joe Biden's "historic" clemency executive action that saw 1,500 criminals have their…— 𝙳𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚢 𝙾𝚠𝚎𝚗𓂀 (@realdennyowen) December 19, 2024
I just read that Biden pardoned a woman, Josephine Gray, who murdered two husbands & a boyfriend for the insurance money over the span of 20 years.
What is going on with these pardons? He's more than doubled FDR's, the previous pardon leader, who was in office for 12 years…— John Bullen (@protagonist2012) December 19, 2024
Biden’s clemency program, described as correcting outdated sentencing practices, has faced intense backlash. Other controversial recipients include a judge involved in a juvenile detention kickback scheme and a doctor convicted of diluting chemotherapy drugs.
Trusty called Gray’s release “infuriating,” questioning why a known career criminal tied to violent deaths would be granted clemency.
