SPOKANE, Wash. – A pre-sentencing evaluation recently released recommended Donna Perry be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release or parole ahead of her sentencing scheduled for Monday.
Donna Perry, formerly known as Douglas Perry, was found guilty last month of murdering three women in 1990. Yolanda Sapp, Kathleen Brisbois and Nickie Lowe were all found shot to death near the Spokane River just weeks apart.
Yolanda Sapp, Kathleen Brisbois and Nickie Lowe were all found shot to death near the Spokane river just weeks apart in 1990. pic.twitter.com/kT1pfZdLnq
— Lindsay Nadrich (@KREMLindsay) June 27, 2017
It was a verdict that was a long time coming for the victim’s families, who were interviewed as part of Perry’s pre-sentencing evaluation. One of Nickie Lowe’s family members expressed concern that Perry has continued to abuse women whom she now has more access to since undergoing gender re-assignment. She wishes Perry would be sent to a men’s prison or kept in isolation so she cannot harm anyone.
Perry was also interviewed as part of the sentencing investigation. Court documents said Perry was provided with the pre-sentencing report that asked for a description of the offense to indicate how and why it happened. Documents indicated that Perry did not compete that portion, but drew a diagonal line through it instead.
When Perry was asked if there was anything she wanted to say about her conviction, she stated “I have nothing to say about it. It wouldn’t do me any good. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.”
The report said Perry repeatedly stated she wanted to go to Eastern State Hospital. As part of the evaluation, the report listed Perry’s past criminal history and mental health problems. It described an encounter Douglas Perry had with a prostitute in 1998 after he picked her up. The woman told police Perry had a lot of guns, knives and a cross-bow in his apartment, but told her he was not going to hurt her because he liked her. The report also mentioned a confrontation Perry had with neighbors in 1986 when he shot their dog.
The sentence evaluation recommended an exceptional sentence for the 1990 murders. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors wrote “As a result of the jury finding that there was more than one victim and each murder was part of the same common scheme or plan, this court has no discretion and must sentence the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole on each count.”
Perry is scheduled to face a judge Monday morning.