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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW After decade behind bars, Grants Pass woman soon will be free ... Jackson County pot rules draw mixed reviews ... Backers of Eugene track event donated heavily to Kitzhaber campaign ... After decade behind bars, Grants Pass woman soon will be free ... Jackson County pot rules draw mixed reviews ... Backers of Eugene track event donated heavily to Kitzhaber campaign ... MALDONADO CASE After decade behind bars, Grants Pass woman soon will be free By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 7, 2016 @ 10:33 am By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 7, 2016 @ 10:33 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Wendy Maldonado's time in prison is almost over, a decade after she bludgeoned her abusive husband to death. The 46-year-old Grants Pass woman, featured in a recent People Magazine article, is scheduled to be released from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville in March. The four-page spread in People — with a cover date of Jan. 11, but now available on newsstands — features nine photographs, including the couple's 1987 wedding, court scenes and abuse scars. Several of the photos were first published in the Daily Courier. Her statement, "If I hadn't done this, I know we'd all be dead now," is highlighted next to a picture of her in prison. The story ends with, "Maybe if I could help one or two women like me not have to go through this, then all this was for a reason." Maldonado and her oldest son, Randy, who was 16 at the time, jointly killed Aaron Maldonado with a hammer and a hatchet on May 1, 2005, at their home near Rogue Community College. Wendy Maldonado pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a plea deal in March 2006 and received a 10-year sentence. In court, Wendy and Randy Maldonado said they were protecting themselves from ongoing physical and emotional abuse by Aaron Maldonado. The judge in the case called the abuse "the worst any of us have ever seen." Randy Maldonado, one of four sons of Wendy's, served six years and was released in 2011. Three of the four sons still live in Grants Pass. Wendy Maldonado was denied clemency twice, by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in 2009 and by Gov. John Kitzhaber in 2014. Grants Pass attorney Mark Lansing filed the second petition for clemency in 2012 and no decision was made for more than two years. "Wendy shouldn't have gone to prison in the first place, but that is old news," Lansing said in an email this week. "I am very happy for her and her family. They will be reunited and she will be free — as Kitzhaber should have allowed four years ago, instead of using her as a political football." The Maldonado case gained notoriety from an HBO special, plus websites that were created to support her. One of her supporters over the years, Monique Savits of Baltimore, created an account for Maldonado to help her get her life restarted after she gets out of prison. It can be found at gofundme.com/WendyMaldonado . Savits saw the HBO special on Maldonado and was moved to tears, then started Facebook pages in support of Wendy and Randy. Reach reporter Jeff Duewel at 541-474-3720 or [email protected]. By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 7, 2016 @ 10:33 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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