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Indianapolis Star
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Gulf War vet Jeff Hutchinson executed for family's murder; veterans say combat broke him
Florida executed Hutchinson for the quadruple murder of his girlfriend and her three children despite a letter from 129 veterans to the governor arguing that Hutchinson's mind was a casualty of war. Florida has executed Gulf War veteran Jeffrey Hutchinson for the shooting deaths of his girlfriend and her three children despite a letter from 129 veterans arguing that Hutchinson's mind was a casualty of war. The 62-year-old former U.S. Army Ranger was convicted for the 1998 murder of 32-year-old Renee Flaherty, and her three children: 9-year-old Geoffrey, 7-year-old Amanda, and 4-year-old Logan. The execution took place shortly after 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Florida State Prison in Railford using the state's three-drug protocol involving etomidate, rocuronium bromide and potassium acetate. It marked the fourth execution in Florida this year and the 15th in the nation. While Hutchinson himself has maintained that the murders were committed by home invaders, his defense team pointed to brain damage and trauma suffered by the former U.S. Army Ranger during his service in the Gulf War as reason to stop the execution. Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives for the Death Penalty and liaison for Hutchinson's legal team, previously told USA TODAY that experts called Hutchinson's statements "a delusional belief based on his significant and severe mental illness." Meanwhile 129 veterans representing every branch of the military wrote to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling Hutchinson "one of us" and urging the governor to stop the execution. Here's what you need to know about the execution, including what the veterans had to say. What was Jeffrey Hutchinson convicted of? On the night of Sept. 11, 1998, Hutchinson fought with Flaherty, after which he packed some of his clothes and guns into his truck, and went to a bar, according to court records. The bartender testified that Hutchinson told him that Flaherty was angry with him, while other witnesses testified that he drove recklessly when he left, according to court documents. Hutchinson then returned to the Crestview home, "busted down" the front door and shot Flaherty, Amanda and Logan in the head in the master bedroom, a forensic pathologist testified − according to court documents. The pathologist testified that Hutchinson shot Geoffrey last in both the chest and the head while the child "was able to see the bodies of his mother, sister, and brother," according to court records. "The terror suffered in that moment is incomprehensible to this court," Hutchinson's trial judge said, according to the Associated Press. Hutchinson called the police and told a dispatcher: "I just shot my family." Police arrived to find him spattered with blood and lying in a daze on the garage floor, still holding the phone, according to court documents. Who were Renee Flaherty and her children? Renee Flaherty did her best to provide for her three children. Even though there wasn't always "much on the shelves," the rural mail carrier and single eastern Washington mom worked hard to put food on the table and loved her children dearly, her brother, Wesley Elmore previously told USA TODAY. "Her kids were a priority. She made sure that her kids were fed and took care of," Elmore said. The last time Elmore saw his sister, just before Thanksgiving in 1997, he felt the family was in "good hands" with Hutchinson as they prepared to move to Florida. "I was giving Renee and the kids a hug and everything, goodbyes," Elmore told USA TODAY. "I remember shaking Jeff's hand and I said, 'Take care of my sister and her kids,' And he says, 'Wes, I promise I will.'" Months later, the 32-year-old Flaherty and her children would be found dead in their home, and Hutchinson was spattered with blood and lying in a daze on the garage floor, according to court documents. Veterans argue for Hutchinson to be spared In their April 30 letter to DeSantis, the veterans arguing for Hutchinson to be spared said that he "served our nation with honor from 1986 to 1994 as both a Paratrooper and an Army Ranger, roles that demand elite training, unshakable discipline, and extraordinary sacrifice." "He fought in some of the most dangerous missions during the Gulf War, operating behind enemy lines in the volatile Four Corners region where Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq meet," they continued. "He was exposed to repeated concussive blasts and deadly chemicals, including sarin nerve gas released during coalition bombings, leading to permanent brain damage and Gulf War Illness, a condition that was not fully recognized when he returned home." When Hutchinson got back home, "instead of receiving care, Jeff was met with silence." They added: "The science was not there. The VA was not there. His government was not there." They said they weren't asking DeSantis to excuse Hutchinson's crime but to "recognize the undeniable truth: Jeff came home injured by war. His mind was a casualty, just like any limb lost in combat." "To execute him now is not justice," they continued. "It is a failure of responsibility. It is the final abandonment of someone our country broke and then left behind." DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request about the veterans' comments. Trial judge rejected arguments about war service At the time of Hutchinson's trial, psychiatrist William Baumzweiger found that Hutchinson's form of mental illness could result in unconscious fits of rage, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Baumzweiger concluded that possible exposure to chemical or biological weapons caused Hutchinson to suffer from a "diminished mental state" at the time of the murders. Hutchinson's trial judge rejected that, instead agreeing with two prosecution psychologists and saying that no correlation between Hutchinson's diagnosis and the murders had been established, reported the Lakeland Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. In sentencing Hutchinson to death, Florida Circuit Judge G. Robert Barron found that 9-year-old Geoffrey's death was particularly heinous because he was alive and wounded in the chest when he was killed with a head shot, the Associated Press reported at the time. "The terror suffered in that moment is incomprehensible to this court," Barron said. "The defendant walked over to that 9-year-old boy and without pity, and without conscience, aimed the shotgun one final time." In the Florida Supreme Court's decision rejecting Hutchinson's arguments this week, the judges said that "there is no credible evidence that in his current mental state Mr. Hutchinson believes himself unable to die or that he is being executed for any reason other than the murders he was convicted of by a jury of his peers." The lone dissenting justice, Jorge Labarga, wrote that the case had a "procedural path unlike any in recent history" and was in favor of a stay.
USA Today
01-05-2025
- USA Today
Florida to execute Gulf War vet Jeff Hutchinson today for quadruple murder. What to know.
Florida to execute Gulf War vet Jeff Hutchinson today for quadruple murder. What to know. Hutchinson was convicted of killing his girlfriend, Renee Flaherty, and her three children: 9-year-old Geoffrey, 7-year-old Amanda, and 4-year-old Logan. It'll be Florida's fourth execution this year. A Gulf War veteran whose attorneys say was "broken" by his combat experience is set to be executed Thursday for the 1998 murder of his girlfriend and her three children. Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, was convicted of killing his girlfriend, 32-year-old Renee Flaherty, and her three children: 9-year-old Geoffrey, 7-year-old Amanda, and 4-year-old Logan. If Hutchinson's execution by lethal injection proceeds, he will be the 15th person executed in the U.S. this year and the fourth in Florida. Hutchinson's legal team has sought to stop the execution, pointing to trauma suffered during the former Army Ranger's service as a mitigating factor. Hutchinson's appeals have been unsuccessful, and only the U.S. Supreme Court or Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis can stop it now. Here's what you need to know about the Hutchinson's execution, who the victims were and the case. More: War 'broke' Army veteran before quadruple murder of mom, 3 kids, defense says When will Jeffrey Hutchinson be executed? Hutchinson is scheduled to be executed shortly after 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 1. How will Jeffrey Hutchinson be executed? The Florida Department of Corrections will execute Hutchinson by lethal injection. The state uses a three-drug protocol of etomidate, rocuronium bromide and potassium acetate. What was Jeffrey Hutchinson convicted of? On the night of Sept. 11, 1998, Hutchinson fought with his girlfriend, Renee Flaherty, after which he packed some of his clothes and guns into his truck, and went to a bar, according to court records. The bartender testified that Hutchinson told him that Flaherty was angry with him, while other witnesses testified that he drove recklessly when he left, according to court documents. Hutchinson then returned to the home, "busted down" the front door and shot Flaherty, Amanda and Logan in the head in the master bedroom, a forensic pathologist testified − according to court documents. The pathologist testified that Hutchinson shot Geoffrey last in both the chest and the head while the child "was able to see the bodies of his mother, sister, and brother," according to court records. "The terror suffered in that moment is incomprehensible to this court," Hutchinson's trial judge said, according to the Associated Press. After the killings, Hutchinson called police and told a dispatcher: "I just shot my family." Police arrived to find him spattered with blood and lying in a daze on the garage floor, still holding the phone, according to court documents. Hutchinson was convicted of all four murders and given a death sentence for the murder of each child. Who were Renee Flaherty and her children? Renee Flaherty did her best to provide for her three children. Even though there wasn't always "much on the shelves," the rural mail carrier and single eastern Washington mom worked hard to put food on the table and loved her children dearly, said her brother, Wesley Elmore. "Her kids were a priority. She made sure that her kids were fed and took care of," Elmore said. Elmore went through a divorce around when Flaherty separated from her husband. Elmore credited her with helping him navigate the turbulent time. Elmore recalled a time when, in almost stereotypical fashion, Elmore's son and Flaherty's 9-year-old son Geoffrey attempted to remove the heads from the Barbie dolls of Flaherty's 7-year-old daughter Amanda. "They thought it was funny and Renee was just furious at both the boys ... they were kids, just mischievous." As for Flaherty's 4-year-old son Logan, he had a knack for taking advantage of the 5-acre home the family had in eastern Washington. "There were times where Logan would be walking around just, you know, an underwear and a pair of rubber boots, (Renee was) like, 'you know, I dressed him early this morning, so he had clothes on.'" More: He promised to care for Washington mom and her 3 kids. Then he killed them all in Florida. Defense argued that Gulf War veteran should be spared Hutchinson has maintained that the murders were committed during a struggle with two home invaders, though his legal team has pointed towards the former Army Ranger's Gulf War Syndrome diagnosis as a reason to stay the execution. Psychiatrist William Baumzweiger found that Hutchinson's form of mental illness could result in unconscious fits of rage, the Tampa Bay Times reported at the time of the trial. Baumzweiger concluded that possible exposure to chemical or biological weapons caused Hutchinson to suffer from a "diminished mental state" at the time of the murders. The judge rejected that, instead agreeing with two prosecution psychologists and saying that no correlation between Hutchinson's diagnosis and the murders had been established, reported the Lakeland Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. Hutchinson's legal team appealed for a stay of the execution shortly after it was scheduled, arguing that "newly discovered evidence related to his brain damage and mental health ... would have resulted in an acquittal of first-degree murder and/or a life sentence." On April 21, the Florida Supreme Court upheld a county circuit court ruling against Hutchinson. The court found that his exposure to "sarin gas and numerous explosions while serving in the Middle East as well as his various post-war symptoms were well-known during or before his trial." On April 30, the Florida Supreme Court denied the last of Hutchinson's appeals and cleared the way for the execution. Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives for the Death Penalty and liaison for Hutchinson's legal team, told USA TODAY that there are significant questions around Hutchinson's competency to be executed. She argued that there should be a pause in the proceedings "to have a full and fair and complete hearing to determine the significance of his long-standing mental illness and brain damage and how that impacted him back then, at the time of trial, his sentencing, and how it impacts his ability to proceed with this execution." Who will witness the execution? Flaherty's brothers, Wesley Elmore and Darran Johnson, and their wives, are set to be among the witnesses. It's unclear whether any of Hutchinson's family will be there.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis signs death warrant for murderer of woman and her three children
In what would be Florida's fourth execution this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for a man who in 1998 murdered his girlfriend and her three children in Okaloosa County. DeSantis issued the warrant Monday for Jeffrey Hutchinson, who received three death sentences and one life sentence after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Renee Flaherty, and her children, Geoffrey, Amanda and Logan Flaherty, according to documents posted Tuesday on the Florida Supreme Court website. The execution is scheduled May 1 at Florida State Prison, with the warrant likely touching off a legal fight in the coming weeks about whether Hutchinson should be put to death. The state this year executed James Ford on Feb. 13 and Edward James on March 20 and is scheduled to execute Michael Tanzi on April 8. A 2001 sentencing order included in the documents posted Tuesday said Hutchinson lived with Renee Flaherty and the children in Crestview. The couple had an argument on Sept. 11, 1998, causing Hutchinson to pack his belongings in a pickup truck and leave the home, according to the sentencing order signed by Circuit Judge G. Robert Barron. After going to an AMVETS bar, where he drank beer, Hutchinson went back to the home and used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill Renee Flaherty, 7-year-old Amanda Flaherty and 4-year-old Logan Flaherty in a master bedroom, the judge wrote in the order. Hutchinson then fired two shots to kill 9-year-old Geoffrey Flaherty, who stood in a doorway of the bedroom. The death sentences were imposed in the children's murders. The sentencing order said Hutchinson, now 62, is an Army veteran who served in the Gulf War. He had been diagnosed with a condition that affects veterans known as Gulf War Illness, but the judge wrote that there had been 'no correlation between the murders of these victims and the defendant's diagnosis of Gulf War Illness established.' A letter dated Monday from Attorney General James Uthmeier to DeSantis outlined a series of appeals filed over the years on behalf of Hutchinson. Courts rejected the appeals. The Hutchinson death warrant came as the Florida Supreme Court considered arguments about whether Tanzi's execution should proceed next week. As of Tuesday morning, the court had not ruled. Tanzi was convicted in the 2000 murder in Monroe County of a woman he kidnapped in Miami. The four executions carried out or scheduled this year came after Florida executed one inmate in 2024. Florida did not execute any inmates in 2020, 2021 and 2022 but put to death six men in 2023. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida man who murdered his girlfriend and her 3 children in 1998 to be executed May 1
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a death warrant for a man who murdered his girlfriend and her three children in Okaloosa County in 1998. DeSantis issued the warrant for Jeffrey Hutchinson, who received three death sentences and one life sentence after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Renee Flaherty, and her children, Geoffrey, Amanda and Logan Flaherty, according to documents posted Tuesday on the Florida Supreme Court website. The execution is scheduled for May 1 at Florida State Prison, with the warrant likely touching off a legal fight in the coming weeks about whether Hutchinson should be put to death. So far this year, the state has executed James Ford on Feb. 13 and Edward James on March 20 and is scheduled to execute Michael Tanzi on April 8. A 2001 sentencing order in Tuesday's documents said that Hutchinson lived with Renee Flaherty and the children in Crestview. The couple had an argument on Sept. 11, 1998, causing Hutchinson to pack his belongings in a pickup truck and leave the home, according to the sentencing order signed by Circuit Judge G. Robert Barron. After going to an AMVETS bar, where he drank beer, Hutchinson went back to the home and used a 12-gauge shotgun to kill Renee Flaherty, 7-year-old Amanda Flaherty and 4-year-old Logan Flaherty in a master bedroom, the judge wrote in the order. Hutchinson then fired two shots to kill 9-year-old Geoffrey Flaherty, who stood in a doorway of the bedroom. The death sentences were imposed in the children's murders. The sentencing order said Hutchinson, now 62, is an Army veteran who served in the Gulf War. He was diagnosed with a condition that affects veterans known as Gulf War Illness, but the judge wrote that there had been "no correlation between the murders of these victims and the defendant's diagnosis of Gulf War Illness established." A letter dated Monday from Attorney General James Uthmeier to DeSantis outlined a series of appeals filed over the years on behalf of Hutchinson. Courts rejected the appeals. The Hutchinson death warrant came as the Florida Supreme Court considered arguments about whether Tanzi's execution should proceed next week. As of Tuesday morning, the court had not ruled. Tanzi was convicted in the 2000 murder in Monroe County of a woman he kidnapped in Miami. The four executions carried out or scheduled this year came after Florida executed one inmate in 2024. Florida did not execute any inmates in 2020, 2021 and 2022 but put to death six men in 2023.
