Kriti Mehrotra
CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Killing of Cowboy Ray Green,’ as the title suggests, is an episode that examines the life and death of 62-year-old cowboy, truck driver, and Vietnam War veteran Raymond “Ray” Green. In the early hours of May 26, 2014, he was shot ten times while asleep in his bed and then stuffed into a metal toolbox-type container placed outside the farm trailer home he shared with his ex-wife, Danielle Green. As days passed, though, his family in Texas alerted the authorities about his absence, leading to his remains’ recovery and the arrest of Danielle for his cold-blooded homicide. So, let’s find out where she is today, shall we?
Who is Danielle Green?
Born on March 14, 1972, Danielle had met Raymond “Ray” Green in Texas, where they fell in love and decided to start a life together. The pair later moved to Florida and became cowboy action shooters, a part of an activity sport where players dress in Wild West clothing and aim for targets at a distance with speed. Danielle was allegedly one of the best shooters of a .38 caliber gun in their local club. As a keen equestrian with special musical abilities, Danielle had dreams of making it big, but she settled on training horses with her husband and living a quiet life, at least for a while.
In 2012, the Greens moved to Dillsboro, near Rising Sun, Indiana, to take care of Danielle’s parents, who suffered from cancer. The couple then found themselves living in a trailer on a farm. In early 2014, they divorced (for financial reasons) but continued to share a home — until Ray was killed on May 26. Once police arrived at the property days later looking for her ex-husband, Danielle told them he had left. However, they could smell the bleach and the distinctive stench of human decay. Thus, detectives received a search warrant, caught her in a lie, and arrested her for murder.
Where is Danielle Green Now?
When Danielle Green went to court for the charge against her in 2015, her argument was that she acted in self-defense. She alleged that in the early morning hours of that fateful day, Ray threatened to kill her. So, in a panic, she grabbed the gun in the room and started shooting. With that said, the evidence, as testified by professionals, suggested that the victim, 62, was asleep and under the covers when he was killed, not in an attacking or abusive position.
Moreover, the prosecutors argued that this murder was not only about money but also about Danielle’s wish to start a new relationship with a cowboy nicknamed Angus McNasty in Florida. Then, there were the incriminating internet searches on Danielle’s phone. In the days leading up to the shooting, the then 42-year-old had looked up things like “what happens when you get shot in the head?,” “headshot from .38 at close range,” and the phrase “If you shot someone…is it lights out or possibly survive?”
Ultimately, in September 2015, a jury found Danielle Marie Green guilty of murder and sentenced her to 60 years in prison, five years below the maximum penalty. Therefore, today, at the age of 49, she is incarcerated at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis, Indiana. As per her State Department of Corrections inmate records, her earliest possible release date is May 31, 2043, that is, if the Indiana Parole Board then deems her fit for supervised release.
Read More: Where is Angus McNasty Now?
