Putting Death Row In The Rear View Mirror: Debra Milke Finds Her Purpose As A ‘Survivor’

Milke came within 17 days of execution. Now she teaches prosecutors what it means to hold a life in their hands.

By: Guest Contributor

Outlets: New Jersey Urban News

Published: September 10, 2026

Words: 4,172

Last Updated: 1 week, 1 day ago

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By: Michael Kiefer (Arizona Mirror)

Thirteen years after she was released from Death Row, Debra Milke was in Phoenix to comfort a friend who is ill.

Milke, 62, had been gone for a long while, trying to escape what her therapist called the source of her pain: Arizona. And though she still feels that drag of depression every day when she wakes up, she forces herself to look to the future, not the past.

“Why …

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