Today former governor Ernie Fletcher was in Louisville meeting with victims of domestic violence.

Before he left office, Governor Fletcher said that he and his wife went over hundreds of cases. Out of them he picked 21 women to pardon, giving them their freedom back and a new look on life. Whas11 was there today as the former governor met with the pardoned women, some of them for the first time.

“I can never undo what I’ve done. I can’t say I’m sorry and I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Antoinette Johnson said.

Johnson spent five years behind bars for killing her boyfriend, whom she says abused her.

She’s one of the 21 women pardoned by Governor Fletcher before he left office.

“You’ve changed a life and given hope. To have that opportunity, it feels good to do right thing,” Ernie Fletcher said

For Tracie English Gomez a pardon means she can give her kids the childhood she never had. 

“The sky is the limit.  I fill out applications now and felony? No! It’s gone,” Gomez said.

Bouncing in and out of her father’s custody, Gomez landed in his house. She said she killed him when he continued to sexually abuse her.

“He tried to rape me and a gun went off,” Gomez said.

Mary Sue Jenkins said she also paid the price for taking her abusive situation into her own hands. Fearing for her daughter’s life and her own, she divorced her husband.

“My ex husband got killed. I didn’t do it, but I put him in the hands of people that did do it,” Jenkins said. “He said I had chose my daughter over him and she had to die.”

For Mary Sue, being pardoned has helped her get a new job. But she said her past will always be with her.

Jenkins said no matter how long she stayed in prison, they could not punish her the way she punishes herself.

It is the same for Antoinette Johnson.

“My intentions were never to bring harm to him or his family and I want that to be known with every breath I take in my body. It was never my intention and I’m totally sorry,” Johnson said.

Web story produced by Amy Stallings