Appeals court upholds life sentence of Terry Dale Ramsey

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the life sentence of a Grove man convicted of kidnapping, beating and attempting to kill his girlfriend. <br><br>Earlier this month,

Thursday, December 26th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the life sentence of a Grove man convicted of kidnapping, beating and attempting to kill his girlfriend.

Earlier this month, the court ruled that none of the six reasons listed as causes for ``reversal or modification'' of Terry Dale Ramsey's sentence in Delaware County were sufficient to grant an appeal.

A jury recommended a life sentence for Ramsey who was convicted of assault and battery with intent to kill, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping.

Ramsey also received a 99-year sentence on a charge of first-degree arson and 50 years for forcible sodomy, all after a previous felony conviction.

In his appeal, his attorney said the sentences were excessive, that Ramsey was deprived of a fair trial and the prosecutor and judge in the case made numerous errors and mislead the jury.

All five members of the appellate court agreed none of those arguments was sufficient to change the sentence, according to their ruling made Dec. 16.

The charges against Ramsey were filed after 19-year-old Tamara Patterson escaped from the building where she was being held in chains after nine days of captivity.

Patterson said she managed to escape when Ramsey fell asleep after forgetting to lock the two padlocks on a chain which bound her to her bed.

Patterson said she was strangled with an electrical cord, hit with fists, crutches, clubs, belts and a rubber hose and had been shot at by Ramsey.