I chose the story “Jury Recommends Death for 69-year old Grandmother.”

1. Prominence, proximity, conflict and the unusual are all present in the story.

2. Who: Faye Copeland, the 69-year-old woman, Circuit Judge E. Richard Webber, the public defender David Miller and Ray Copeland, Faye Copeland’s husband.

What: A 69-year-old woman was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder for killing and burying four farm workers.

When: The murders happened a year ago.

Where: Chillicothe, Mo.

Why and How: The only explanation given for why the murders occurred is the claim that Faye Copeland suffered from battered-wife syndrome.

3. Observation, stored records and interviewing are the types of sources used.

4. The reporter interviewed the public defender, David Miller. Judging from the article most of information pertaining to the case was accessed through court records.

5.  I would ask the reporter to try to interview the convicted woman to get her take on the sentencing and why she allegedly committed the case. I would question why Faye Copeland was charged with five counts of first-degree murder when there were only four people murdered.

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