In the summer of 1998 my mother, Melissa Vanover, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Michael Nieman. My mother and Mike had been in a relationship which came to be a controlling and abusive one, ultimately leading up to the crime at hand. She has acknowledged and taken full responsibility for her actions. However, we believe she was overcharged. Rather than being charged for murder, we think the circumstances called for a lesser charge. Prior to this conviction she has never been incarcerated before. Her many accomplishments will attest to her positive life changes. Her period of incarceration has been a time of spiritual rebirth and visible life change. She has been exceedingly active in the church, The Life Group, volunteer work and fundraising for charity. In 2009 she became a columnist for Redwebzine.org, an online magazine promoting stories of positive transformations of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. She has chosen to use her time to further her education and learn new trades. She's developed skills computer programs, writing, carpentry as well as at home and building repairs. She's received certifications in electrical work and plumbing. She's worked countless hours for the prison, including installing the security systems. She's also mentored and positively impacted other inmates.

In 2012 my mother shared her story through an on camera interview for the show Facing Evil with Candice DeLong. On the show, Candice, the former FBI Profiler, stated that my mother was overcharged and should not be there. Candice also wrote the Ohio Parole Board a support letter stating that she truly believed my mother told the truth and is sincerely remorseful for her actions. Since the show has aired, Candice and my mother, have received numerous letters from viewers expressing their gratitude for how my mothers story helped them find the strength to leave abusive relationships of their own.

My mother has shown nothing less than positive life transformations since the terrible incident occurred in 1998. She is well prepared for her re-entry into society and has work and housing ready for her. After years of searching and filing clemencies without the help or a lawyer, we have finally found someone to help. We ask for your help in raising money to retain the attorney so that we can file a motion to reduce her life sentence to the equivalent to that of voluntary manslaughter so that she can finally return home to her four children and five grandchildren. We are forever grateful to any and all help and would like to extend a heartfelt thank you in advance.