Partners in Crime

Dolly Mae and Shaniqua: A Deadly Sisterhood

·44 min·4 clips
In 1991, JoEllen couldn't use her husband's abuse as a defense because battered women syndrome wasn't legally recognized.
This episode examines two women convicted of violent crimes: JoEllen Johnson, who shot her wealthy husband after years of alleged psychological abuse, and Rebecca Bivens, who killed her five-year-old stepdaughter while struggling with untreated mental illness. Both cases explore the complex interplay of abuse, mental health, and criminal responsibility.

As heard by us

A hard, case-driven piece that keeps abuse, testimony, and consequence in view.

The hour is at its best when it stays close to the case facts, letting testimony and trial arguments carry the weight of a woman's account of years of alleged abuse ending in a gunshot, alongside the grief of another woman living with the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a grave, courtroom-minded look at a fatal shooting, alleged abuse, and what came after.

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