Judge denies woman's resentencing request under Oklahoma Survivors’ Act

Curtis Killman

Tulsa World Reporter

A judge on Thursday declined to modify April Wilkens’ life prison sentence under the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act following a two-day court hearing in Tulsa County District Court.

District Judge David Guten said attorneys for Wilkens failed to show by clear and convincing evidence that domestic violence was a substantial contributing factor in her 1998 fatal shooting of Terry Carlton in Tulsa.

Guten said evidence presented at the hearing and in court records showed that Wilkens was a survivor of domestic abuse for purposes of the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act.

But, Guten said, Wilkens’ attorneys failed to show as required by the law that domestic violence was a contributing factor in the murder.

Attorneys for Wilkens announced afterwards that they would appea