Patricia Johnson was found guilty in the fatal shooting of her husband in 1991. Patricia was married twice and divorced twice but both relationships were characterised by addiction or abuse.

Patricia then married her third husband, Peter Johnson. However, like the other marriages, it quickly became abusive. In 1991 Patricia shot and killed Peter in their home. She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 29 years in prison. Patricia was given a new trial in 2006 and her conviction was reduced to second-degree murder.

From an early age there were signs that Rebecca Bivens had severe mood swings. At the age of 25, the mother of four was finally admitted to a psychiatric centre where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Claiming that prescription medication made her lethargic, she stopped her medication and continued her pattern of extreme emotional states.

After getting divorced in 1995, her children went to live with relatives and Rebecca remarried. On the morning of 17th November 1998, Rebecca was getting her five-year-old stepdaughter, Dani, ready for school when the two began to argue. Rebecca snapped and fatally beat Dani. She was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. An appeal reduced her time to 40 years.