Very Desperate Housewives Marathon Tonight

7 EPISODES: 7 WOMEN WHO WANTED IT ALL

New York online marketing manager Michelle Sandoval is working with Oxygen Media to get the word out about "Snapped," a true-crime series that profiles women who kill. Michelle contacted Women in Crime Ink and asked us to give the show some ink. The following material is reproduced from the Web site:

Each year, approximately 16,000 people are murdered in the United States. According to the FBI, 7% of the killers are female. Who are these women and what drives them to kill?

Oxygen's hit true-crime series "Snapped" profiles the fascinating cases of women accused of murder. Did they really do it? And, if they did, why? Whether the motivation was revenge against a cheating husband, the promise of a hefty insurance payoff or putting an end to years of abuse, the reasons are as varied as the women themselves. From socialites to secretaries, female killers share one thing in common: at some point, they all snapped.

"Snapped" is produced in conjunction with Jupiter Entertainment, the creators of City Confidential and Dominick Dunne's "Power, Privilege & Justice." Narrated by veteran news reporter Sharon Martin, each episode of "Snapped" chronicles the life of a woman who has been charged with murder. These shocking but true stories turn common assumptions about crime and criminals upside down, and prove that even the most unlikely suspects can be capable of murder.

Tonight at 7:00 EDT, "Snapped" kicks off its "Very Desperate Housewives Marathon" with the story of Joyce Cohen, a pampered trophy wife who hired three thugs to kill her multi-millionaire husband in a fake home invasion robbery. Here are tonight's other desperate housewives:

Manuela Garcia - The Garcias seemed like an average American family, that is, until Manuela attacked her husband with an axe. The murder triggered an investigation that would expose a life of unhappiness, abuse and desperation.

Phyllis Nelson - Angry over her estranged husband's affair, Phyllis Nelson decided to confront him at his new apartment. They had a heated argument that ended abruptly when Dr. Nelson "ran into" her knife.

Joan Shannon - When Joan Shannon's soldier husband was shot to death by her teenaged daughter, it didn't take long before authorities suspected that mom may have played a role in the demise of her well-insured spouse.

Dora Cisneros - When Dora Cisneros' daughter was dumped by her high school sweetheart, Dora immediately consulted with her fortune-teller. And when the boy was later found dead, police would learn that it wasn't a conjured spirit that took his life. It was an overzealous mom and an elaborate murder plot.

Susan Polk - During an acrimonious divorce, Susan Polk and her husband Felix both threatened to kill each other, but only one of them actually followed through.

Darlene Gentry - Marriage and three kids didn't stop Darlene Gentry from her favorite pursuits: drinking, drugs, and dancing. But when money troubles threatend to spoil her fun, she decided her husband was worth more to her dead than alive.

Watch the preview and bonus clips here.

After tonight's marathon, "Snapped" returns to its regular programming at 10:00 EDT Sundays. Real Women. Real Stories. Real Murder.

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