Valessa Robinson, a Florida woman who was convicted of murdering her mother 15 years ago when she was 15-years-old, is scheduled to be released from prison on Friday.
Robinson, now 30, is currently serving a 20-year sentence at the Homestead Correctional Institution. Her early release is due to good behavior, The Tampa Tribune reported.
In 2000, Robinson was convicted on charges of third-degree murder for the death of her mother, Vicki Robinson. On June 27 1998, Valessa held her mother down while her 19-year-old boyfriend, Adam Davis, stabbed Vicki in the throat with a bleach-filled syringe. They then threw Vicki's body in the trash a few miles from the family home in Carrollwood, The Tampa Tribune reported.
Davis was sentenced to death and is currently on death row. Jon Whispel, Davis' 19-year-old friend, was also sentenced to 25 years for his involvement in the murder.
To this day there are conflicting accounts of what happened. Testimonies at Valessa's trial said the murder was her idea. According to the Tampa Tribune, Vicki wanted her daughter to end her relationship with Davis and send her to a school for troubled youth.
DeeAnn Athan, Valessa's defense attorney, portrayed Valessa as a lost teenager under the influence of her boyfriend.
"I would describe her as a 15-year-old who was experimenting with drugs, who was experimenting with sex with a 19-year-old," said Athan in an NBC interview.
However, according to NBC, the jury heard Valessa confess on tape that she stabbed her mother in the neck and twice in the back.
Now, Valessa is a "soft spoken and intelligent," woman, Athan told The Tampa Tribune. Athan told reporters Valessa has dramatically improved herself in prison and just wants people to respect her privacy.
"I think she has a great chance of making it on the outside," she said.
