Marsha Colbey Character Analysis in Just Mercy

Marsha is the poor white Alabama woman convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison after giving birth to a stillborn baby. The hard-working mother of six other children, Marsha was unable to afford prenatal care. Marsha becomes an advocate for other women at Tutwiler prison. With EJI’s help, she is ultimately released.

Marsha Colbey Quotes in Just Mercy

The Just Mercy quotes below are all either spoken by Marsha Colbey or refer to Marsha Colbey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Spiegel & Grau edition of Just Mercy published in 2015.

Knitted together as they were, a horrible day for one woman would inevitably become a horrible day for everyone. The only consolation in such an arrangement was that joys were shared as well. A grant of parole, the arrival of a hoped-for letter, a visit from a long absent family member would lift everyone’s spirits.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 238

Explanation and Analysis:

Marsha Colbey Character Timeline in Just Mercy

The timeline below shows where the character Marsha Colbey appears in Just Mercy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Stevenson introduces Marsha Colbey, a poor white woman from Alabama. He opens with Marsha marveling at her freedom... (full context)

...their children. He also describes women being jailed for drug use during pregnancy. Several of Marsha’s jurors admitted that they were too bothered by the idea of a homicidal mom to... (full context)

Stevenson writes about the conditions at Tutwiler Women’s Prison, where Marsha was incarcerated. As the only women’s prison in the state, it was incredibly overcrowded. Another... (full context)

EJI senior attorney Charlotte Morrison and attorney Kristen Nelson take on Marsha’s case. Each time they meet, Marsha informs them of the needs of women at Tutwiler.... (full context)

...video featuring Muncy Prison entitled “This is Not My Home.” Stevenson writes that Charlie and Marsha Colby are “doing well,” and Henry is no longer facing the death penalty. Stevenson ends... (full context)