CHICAGO — In a case indicative of the justice system’s slowly changing attitude toward domestic violence, a judge Monday shaved more than three years off the sentence of a Chicago woman who said she shot and killed her abuser in 2001.

Marseilles Redmond, 44, had sought early release under an Illinois law that allows domestic violence survivors to make a case to a judge for a reduced sentence, though she faced obstacles from an unfavorable Illinois Supreme Court decision that was later amended by the General Assembly. The law is meant to provide a path for the court system to recognize potential mitigating circumstances for defendants who have suffered from domestic abuse.

Now after years of fighting, Redmond has slightly less than a year left to serve behind bars. Cook County Judge Paul Pavlus reduced her prison sentence from the original term of 28 years to a little over 24 years, per a plea agreement with Cook County prosecutors.

“Domestic violence is a unique crime in itself,” Pavlus said, noting that Redmond did not have the opportunity to present the information at the time of her sentencing. “Courts have come to understand that domestic violence is so unique in nature. We can’t get a handle on it.”

Redmond admitted she shot and killed Narsell Love, the father of her infant child, at an Evanston gas station in July 2001. She said the attack came on the heels of a period of escalating violence in which Love threatened to kill her multiple times. Just before the shooting, Redmond said, Love was using his car to bump into the back of her bumper while her 1-year-old was strapped in the backseat.

During the hearing Monday morning at a branch courthouse in Skokie, Redmond shook with tears and struggled to speak, as she apologized to Love’s family.

“My actions caused an immeasurable amount of pain,” she said, clutching a tissue.

Family members for Love appeared via Zoom and using the platform’s chat function expressed displeasure with the sentence reduction.

“She’s not walking away from this,” Pavlus said. “I want to make this really clear for the victim’s family.”

Shea Redmond, the now 23-year-old son of Redmond and Love, said he understands the perspective of his father’s family, but he felt justice was served when the judge took into account his mother’s experiences, too. He pointed out that she has attended college in prison and undergone therapy.

Shea Redmond addressed the court on behalf of his mother, telling the judge he began receiving letters from her before he knew how to read them. He said phone calls with his mother were often cut short, so he looks forward to building a relationship with her outside of prison.

“Chicago is a huge city,” he said, smiling after the hearing. “A lot of good food, amazing things to do.”

Marseilles Redmond’s fight for a new sentence hit a hurdle in 2023 when the state’s high court issued a ruling that said the resentencing law doesn’t apply to defendants like Redmond who entered a guilty plea instead of having been convicted by a judge or jury. In the wake of the decision, the Illinois legislature in May amended the law to clarify that domestic violence survivors who plead guilty can seek resentencing.

With the date now set for Redmond to walk out of prison — Jan. 9, 2026 — her family is preparing to have her home, with an eye toward finding a job. Her mother, Vadal Redmond, said her daughter loves baking and enjoyed a pet grooming course she took in prison.

The shooting, though, will stick with her, Vadal Redmond said.

“It’s part of the consequences of what she did,” Redmond said. “But she will work through this.”

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