Barbara Cottman Becnel (b. May 30, 1950) is an author, journalist, and film producer. Becnel was a close friend of and advocate for executed Crips co-founder Stanley Williams (a convicted murderer and former gang leader who would later become an anti-gang activist and writer), and editor of Williams's series of children's books, which spoke out against gang violence. She was co-producer of the Golden Globe nominated film Redemption: The Stan Took...
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Barbara Cottman Becnel (b. May 30, 1950) is an author, journalist, and film producer. Becnel was a close friend of and advocate for executed Crips co-founder Stanley Williams (a convicted murderer and former gang leader who would later become an anti-gang activist and writer), and editor of Williams's series of children's books, which spoke out against gang violence. She was co-producer of the Golden Globe nominated film Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story which starred award winning actress Lynn Whitfield playing the role of Becnel.
Becnel was in attendance at Williams' execution as one of his chosen witnesses. After he was pronounced dead, she, along with two of his friends, television executive Shirley Neal and movie producer Rudy Langlais, stood up and yelled that California had executed an innocent man. After the execution, she said "We are going to prove his innocence, and when we do, we are going to show that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is, in fact, himself a cold blooded...
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