Donna Yaklich

Their reactions to Dennis beg the question: How was Donna, a 5'7" 130 pound wife and mother supposed to defend herself?
...
Dennis' violence against Donna included, but is not limited to:Slapping, kicking, choking, and pushing her down stairs; putting his firearm to her head and threatening to kill her; taunting her by making his hand in the form of a gun, pointing it at her then lifting it to his lips and blowing on it as if he had actually shot her; torturing her by using the cover of darkness in the bedroom to keep her from gauging from what direction the blows would come; as well as repeatedly and sadistically sexually assaulting her.Dennis' psychological abuse of Donna was nothing short of domestic terrorism, and it was more disabling than the physical attacks.The constant threat of death loomed over her every single day.Not knowing where or when the fatal act would come was more debilitating than having no doubt it would.

Independent witnesses have corroborated Donna's accounts about the physical abuse.One such witness was the Yaklich's mailman who said he had seen bruises on Donna's face.
...
In 1982, Donna called Dennis' partner and told him Dennis was out of control and had thrown her down the stairs and was threatening to kill her.
...
Donna realized going to the police was an exercise in futility.

In November 1983 she went to see a psychologist.The visit was short and traumatic with Donna sobbing uncontrollably during the entire session.
...
Donna was so ashamed of her decision to return to him and so plagued by self blame, not knowing her behavior was indicative of most abused women, she told the counselors at the shelter she was moving out of state rather than admit she was going back.

In early 1985, Donna began reaching out to several people telling them she believed Dennis was going to kill her and seeking their advice.No one took her seriously.So she went to one of Dennis' friends and asked if he knew anyone that could get rid of Dennis before he killed her as he had threatened to do.Having come to believe her own life had no value in the eyes of others, she thought perhaps they would place a higher value on Dennis' and intervene.
...
Hopeless, Donna tried to kill herself to escape but was unable to carry it out when thoughts of leaving her young son without a mother filled her conscience.Recalling the pain she witnessed in the lives of Barbara's children, she could not imagine her son enduring those circumstances.

In May, 1985, Pueblo Sheriff Department Officers responded to a 911 call made by Donna's mother when one of the step-children called Donna's father reporting that he heard Dennis push Donna through the plate glass window.The officers who responded talked with Dennis, who took them on a tour of the gym he had built on the property, and after barely acknowledging Donna, they left.Even though the incident was a false alarm because the crash that was heard was a bowl hitting the floor rather than Donna being thrown through a window, much can be derived from the incident.None of the law enforcement officers who responded seemed interested in exploring the inferences.Donna's position on the wrong side of the blue wall was reiterated again.

On December 12, 1985, one of the people to whom Donna had expressed her desperation, a neighbor, Edward Greenwell, went to the Yaklich residence with his younger brother, Charles.
...
Both Edward and Charles Greenwell made a deal with District Attorney Gus Sandstrom in exchange for their testimony against Donna.
...
The DA claimed Donna conspired to have Dennis murdered for insurance money not in self-defense.
...
Donna never believed he would succumb to anything.Not even death.

A Prejudiced Prosecution

...
The police department's priority to conceal its own degree of responsibility for Donna's years of abuse and ultimately Dennis' death, as well as the clear political agenda of the prosecutor ensured gross prejudice against Donna from the beginning of the judicial process to the end.

The Conviction

Donna's jury acquitted her of the first-degree murder charge against her.They convicted her of the conspiracy to commit murder, however.Several jurors believed Donna should be acquitted of all charges, but were fearful of retaliation from the Pueblo Police Department.Confused by a complicated process, intimidated by a system about which they lacked understanding, and feeling enormous pressure to quickly reach a verdict, they voted guilty placing their faith in the fair-mindedness of the judge.They believed, based on the plethora of evidence of the brutal and continuous abuse Donna suffered at the hands of her police husband, the judge would not sentence her above the minimum, which was eight years.They were mistaken.

The Sentence

In addition to Donna's own remorseful plea for mercy at her sentencing hearing, the probation supervisor who had conducted the pre-sentencing investigation also testified.He recommended the minimum sentence, and suggested Donna was an excellent candidate for sentencing alternatives outside of the Department of Corrections.He made the following statement in supporting his recommendation: "I really felt that whether they did what she wanted done, to have Dennis killed, or whether Dennis found out and killed her, it didn't matter.She was at a point in her life where either was satisfactory."
...
His justification for issuing a sentence above the presumptive range was that in his mind Donna, "started this whole scenario."Therefore, he proclaimed, "A sentence in excess of the longest Greenwell's sentence is also thoroughly justified."

Dr. Lenore Walker, who evaluated and counseled Donna, and whose expert testimony was offered at trial said that when the judge sentenced Donna Yaklich he was "using the court and a woman's life to express his own ignorance of a battered women's plight."

Clearly, Donna's case is a tragic example of how dangerously hopeless that plight can be when it is the product of abuse by a police husband.

The Jurors

...
One cannot help but wonder if their opinions would have been considered valuable if they had held the belief that Donna had gotten what she deserved.That seems a reasonable conclusion to draw, "under the circumstances."Several of the jurors who served during Donna's trial are among those diligently seeking her early release.

Life in Prison

Prior to her incarceration, Donna's record was without blemish.
...
Donna has obtained an associate's degree, and is currently just a few courses away from completing her Bachelors in psychology.She has worked in several programs to help victims of abuse, and to aid in diverting others headed down the wrong path in their lives.Department of Corrections supervisors and volunteers have had high praise for the effectiveness of Donna's work with young people, especially those who have been victims of abuse.

Formerly assigned to maintenance, Donna is currently participating in a computer-refurbishing program, continuing to demonstrate her commitment to being a responsible and industrious worker, whatever the task may be.Donna is always ready to take on a new challenge and for several years she was a member of the Fire Response Team, a small group of volunteers trained in first aid and firefighting.

Despite the difficulties in her life, Donna's attitude remains buoyed by hope.Not just the hope of being free, but the hope of touching the lives of other victims and of taking down the blue wall of silence one police family at a time.

Parting comments from Donna…

If you are in an abusive relationship, please seek help.Participating in support/therapy groups will give you the strength within to emotionally break away from your abusive partner.If you have gone back to your abuser, please know that it is "normal" to go back.In time you will learn how to stay away from him emotionally and physically.
...
Donna Yaklich #58751