Who was Patrina Lynette King?

"We never give up hope. We say that with God, all things are possible."
-Tracy Cope

Woman marries death row prisoner
23 June 2007, 09:56 GMT 10:56 UK BBC

The couple met through a pen pal programme - photo courtesy of WRAL TV
A former Nottinghamshire woman has married a death row prisoner at a ceremony in a US jail.
Tracy Cope, 44, married James Lewis Morgan, 52, at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, last week.

Their four-and-a-half-year relationship began when Ms Cope sent the inmate a love poem through a pen pal programme. She has since moved to North Carolina.

Morgan was killed 34-year-old Patrina Lynette King in November 1997 and was sentenced to death.


Prison officials allowed the couple to hold hands, hug and kiss during the wedding ceremony, but visits will now be through a glass partition and will be limited to one-and-a-half hours per week.

Tracy told WRAL TV in North Carolina Morgan's crime was no longer a concern to her once she found out all the details.

She added that she was optimistic they would both be together outside prison walls one day.

"We never give up hope. We say that with God, all things are possible."

The North Carolina Department of Correction said Morgan is one of only two prisoners to get married at Central Prison in the past five years.

______________________________

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA


No. 182A00


FILED: 3 DECEMBER 2004

On 5 January 1998, defendant James Lewis Morgan was indicted for the murder of Patrina Lynette King (King). He was convicted of first-degree murder on the basis of premeditation and deliberation. Following a capital sentencing proceeding, the jury recommended a sentence of death, and the trial court entered judgment accordingly.
The State's evidence at trial showed that defendant and his nephew, Kenneth Cato (Cato), were living at 13 Ridge Street in Asheville. On the evening of 25 November 1997, Cato arrived home around midnight to find defendant and King sitting in the living room. They appeared to him to have been smoking crack cocaine, and Cato heard defendant tell King that he wanted a“head job.” When King refused and tried to depart, defendant started shouting and smacked her. Defendant also grabbed a beer bottle by the neck, threatened Cato with it, and ordered him to leave. Although Cato stepped out of the room, defendant continued hitting King. Cato told defendant to stop, then reentered the room and began to wrestle with defendant. During their struggle, defendant hit Cato on the head with the beer bottle, then chased Cato outside and around a vehicle parked on Ridge Street. According to Cato, defendant was holding a knife during the chase. Meanwhile, King emerged from the house and started down the street. When defendant began to follow her, Cato ran for help to the home of defendant's brother, Richard Morgan (Rick), about a half mile away.
The two drove back to Ridge Street, where Cato saw a broken bottle in the street and King lying between two cars. Rick knocked on the door of Stacey Miller's home at 12 Ridge Street and asked him to call 911. Unable to comply because he did not have a telephone, Miller stepped outside to see what was happening. Defendant returned to the scene, carrying a knife. Miller saw defendant, Rick, and Cato standing together, engaged in conversation. Defendant said, “You-all are the reason why this happened to me,” and chased Cato around the car shouting either “I'll kill you, too” or “I should have killed you.” Someone called 911, and defendant walked away when police arrived at the scene.