EP 66 | The Case of April Wilkens and SB 1835 with Tracey Lyall & Colleen McCarty
Written by Tracy Spears on October 14, 2025
I have not one, but two incredible guests for this timely and important episode of Shift Out Loud. We’ll be exploring the case of domestic violence survivor April Wilkens, who was recently denied a shortened sentence for a crime directly related to her abuse: the murder of her long-time rapist and abuser.
Tracey Lyall is the CEO of Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS) in Tulsa and a Licensed Social Worker with years of direct service and advocacy for victims of DV and sexual assault. Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice co-founder Colleen McCarty has been a key advocate in pushing for survivor justice reform through the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act (SB 1835), which passed the OK Senate 46-0 and the OK House 86-4.
In this impactful conversation, Tracey and Colleen discuss why SB 1835 is vital legislation for Oklahomans, how it compares to similar measures enacted in other states, and why April Wilkins should be granted relief and be reunited with her family.
Listen now to discover:
- The details of April’s horrific story and the current status of her legal case
- Why April’s denial was so shocking and what you can do to help support her cause
- The potential impact of SB 1835 on Oklahoma’s incarcerated women
Guest bios: Tracey Lyall is a Licensed Social Worker and the CEO of DVIS in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2013, along with the board of directors, she led the organization’s $24 million capital campaign to build a new shelter, transitional housing, and counseling office. She has worked in the areas of poverty, DV, crisis intervention, and mental health. Attorney Colleen McCarty has served as Policy Counsel and Deputy Director of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. She is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and was instrumental in passing medical parole reform in 2020 (SB 320).
Timestamps:
01:51 Intro
03:56 Meet Tracey Lyall & Colleen McCarty
07:00 Passing SB 1835
09:16 Oklahoma Appleseed & SB 1835’s strengths
14:33 DV stats, stigma & retaliation
20:27 April’s case
31:12 Colleen’s work
34:00 Tracey’s reaction
36:13 Support for April
41:46 Current actions & influences
45:14 Colleen’s final thoughts
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