a friend and former colleague of mine is working on the case of teresa lewis, who is the only woman on death row in virginia.  it is likely that an execution date will be set for the fall.  the case has (as these capital cases almost always seem to) some troubling dimensions.  in particular, ms. lewis received the death penalty while the actual triggerman was given a life sentence.  take a few minutes to learn more at this website. 

— a september execution has been set for virginia's only woman on death row.on thursday, a pittsylvania county circuit judge set a sept. 23 execution for 40-year-old teresa lewis. lewis was sentenced to death for plotting to have her husband and stepson killed in 2002 so she could collect a $250,000 life insurance policy.prosecutors said lewis used sexual favors and manipulation to persuade two men to kill her husband, julian clifton lewis jr., and stepson charles j. lewis.the gunmen were sentenced to life in prison. one committed suicide in 2006.lewis would be the first woman executed in virginia in nearly 100 years. she would be the first woman put to death in the u.s. since 2005, when frances newton died by injection in texas.

dena potter has this story for ap on the sept. 23 execution date for one of the few women on death row, teresa lewis of virginia. she had her husband and his son killed for the insurance money. so why are women such a small portion of death row, not only smaller than their portion of the general population, but also smaller than their proportion of murderers?