On a quiet Sunday in the rural community of Marydel, Maryland, the life of Loren Peterson, a male military retiree, came to a violent end. On November 17, 1991, he was shot and killed as he sat watching television in a chair in his living room. The person responsible for his death was his wife, Barbara Ann Peterson. Immediately following the shooting, she walked to her daughter's nearby home and called the police to report what she had done.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement officers arrested Barbara Ann Peterson. She was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and other related offenses. The ensuing legal proceedings revealed a long and troubled history within the Peterson marriage, one marked by years of physical and emotional abuse inflicted by Loren upon his wife. This history of abuse became a central element of Barbara's defense.
During her trial, which began in November 1992, Barbara's legal counsel argued that she was a victim of battered spouse syndrome. Her defense did not contest the fact that she had shot and killed her husband. Instead, they pursued a plea of "Not Criminally Responsible" due to insanity. Despite this defense, a jury in the Circuit Court for Caroline County found her guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, battery, and the use of a handgun in the commission of a felony on November 23, 1992. She was sentenced to life in prison for the murder, with a consecutive 20-year term for the handgun conviction.
However, the legal battle did not end there. In a significant turn of events, Barbara Ann Peterson's conviction was later overturned on appeal. A higher court found that her initial trial counsel had been constitutionally deficient, specifically in the failure to adequately investigate and present evidence of battered spouse syndrome. This ruling led to her conviction being thrown out. After the successful appeal, her case was closed.
