Tucker was the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War. She made the precedent as all began to wonder whether she'd make it past mid-night on her last day to live. I agree that gender had much to do with the attention she received. If it had been a Carl Tucker, the case would never have made the light of day in our vengeful society. But why should her gender make a difference.
More men are on death row than women and women are less likely to be sentenced to death.
There are usually some touchy circumstances involved. Many women who are on death row are often there for killing their husbands or their children. Women commit fewer violent crimes than men and are often viewed in society as the oppressed, not the oppressors. Many found it hard to look into Karla Fae Tucker's eyes, a woman's eyes, and see a coldhearted killer. The fact that she had committed these crimes and now must face the same punishment that many men face every year in Texas should not weigh any heavier on our hearts than the death of any other felon.