A Klamath County woman convicted in connection with the brutal hatchet murder of her mother and brother will soon be released from prison…despite strong opposition from her family.
30 year old Jessica Tibbets was in court 3 weeks ago to plead for her release at a ‘second look’ hearing…
“I owe it to my family to be the best person that I can be.” Plead Tibbets. “Because my mom and my brother are dead, and they don’t have that opportunity – the least I can be is the best that I can be every day now.”
Tibbets was just 14 in 1998 when she urged 23 year old boyfriend Raymond Eddings to take a hatchet to her 43 year old mother Bennie Jo Tibbets and 16 year old brother Billy Ray Tower, and then set their house on fire.
Eddings is now serving a life sentence.
But Judge Roxanne Osborne has ruled that Tibbets has spent enough time behind bars…
“The judge ruled that she met the ‘second look.” Explains Klamath County District Attorney Rob Patridge. “And in the next 45 to 90 days, she’s going to get released.”
Betty Sabatini, the twin sister of Bennie Jo Tibbets, says she’s devastated by the ruling…
“Well, it just devastated me, because it seemed as though the judge didn’t even hear anything that I said. And now I have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder because of what she did.”
District Attorney Patridge notes that Tibbets won’t be released without supervision…
“There’s a whole condition of her release, as well as how she’ll be monitored, etc. – and she won’t be released, we hope, into Klamath County.”
Betty Sabatini says the family plans to appeal the decision.
Jessica Tibbets is currently married to Zane Skeen of Klamath Falls. Zane Skeen is currently awaiting trial on murder charges for allegedly killing 65 year old Larry Wayne Clark in February.
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