Phila. 'Black Madam' Gets Long Prison Term For Fatal Butt Injections
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia judge today sentenced the woman who called herself "The Black Madam" to 10-20 years in prison for silicone butt injections that proved fatal to one woman and injured several others.
The defendant, Padge Windslowe, expressed remorse for her old life, which included injecting women in hotel rooms to make their butts look bigger.
But prosecutor Bridget Kirn pointed out that even while in prison, Windslowe started a new business, called "Assets," which claims to achieve the same effect with a special fabric she invented.
"Her actions after being convicted show that she's still willing to continue acting for her own financial gain," Kirn said today. "She's up to her next con."
But Windslowe's attorney says that however misguided, his client was merely trying to help people. And he tied some of her actions to her transgendered identity.
"The folks who wanted her services were transgender or at least thinking about going transgender," says attorney David Rudenstein, who called her sentence "fair."
Kirn, the prosecutor, had asked for more but seemed satisfied today with the sentence.
"At least for the next ten years we'll know she's not going to be killing any more girls in the streets of Philadelphia," Kirn said.
Kirn also noted in court today that Windslowe has been soliciting funds for a foundation Kirn says is bogus, using her dead victim's name.
Judge Rosemarie DeFino said she knew about that because Windslowe had mailed brochures to nearly every judge in the city. As part of the sentencing, she ordered Windslowe to stop the mailings and not to use the victim's name, except in a court appeal.
With time served, Windslowe could be up for parole in seven years.
