Latest news with #TennesseeCourtofCriminalAppeals
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Appellate court upholds 104-year prison sentence for man convicted of raping 8-year-old
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld a 104-year prison sentence for an Anderson County man convicted of raping an 8-year-old girl multiple times over a month-long period in 2019. As reported earlier in The Oak Ridger, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in February 2023 that a jury convicted then 45-year-old Royce Scott Earley of two counts of rape of a child, two counts on a related charge and a charge of aggravated sexual battery. The convictions came at the end of a three-day trial. Criminal Court Judge Ryan M. Spitzer later sentenced him to 104 years in prison. "During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued for enhanced punishment and consecutive sentencing because of the severity of the convictions, the vulnerability of the minor child, and the defendant's lack of remorse and accountability for his actions," Clark stated in the 2023 news release. Early's appeal of the conviction was denied and the sentence was upheld by the state Court of Criminal Appeals on March 6, according to a news release issued from Clark's office this week. Clark said, 'The most difficult cases are ones that involve vulnerable child victims. We are satisfied that this offender will spend the rest of his life in prison.' The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Emily F. Abbott and Sarah W. Keith. The Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Tennessee Department of Children's Services, and East Tennessee Children's Hospital all participated in investigating this case. 'We are committed to holding serious offenders accountable and protecting the most vulnerable victims. I am grateful to all those that participated in this investigation and trial to help make justice a reality in this case,' Clark said. During the time of the initial arrest and later court proceedings, Early's address was given as Clinton and later Powell. The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@ and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed. Support The Oak Ridger by subscribing. Offers available at This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Court upholds 104-year sentence for man convicted of raping 8-year-old
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man on death row for killing Georgia couple declares hunger strike over jail conditions
A Tennessee man currently on death row for killing a Georgia couple says he is now on a hunger strike protesting issues with medical care, the quality of the food, and individual padlocks installed on cell doors that he says are a safety hazard. Howard Willis was sentenced to death in 2010 for the murders eight years earlier of newlyweds Adam Chrismer, 17, and Samantha Leming Chrismer, 16, of Chickamauga. A friend, Darlene Kimbrough, spoke to him on Wednesday afternoon and confirmed that Willis had started a hunger strike and delivered a statement to prison officials. Michael Rimmer, another death row inmate who acts as a helper to sick and disabled inmates like Willis, was given a copy of the statement. He read it over the phone to Kimbrough, who recorded it. Willis' attorneys said they were aware of the statement. TRENDING STORIES: 2-time Super Bowl champion Kadarius Toney arrested for choking someone in metro Atlanta Student from East Point went unnoticed for hours after entering Apalachee High School South Fulton mayor stripped of most privileges, must return expensive items he purchased In the statement, the 73-year-old Willis complained of a nurse at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution who he said was causing so many problems with medications that 'prisoners will not take needed medications from her, because she gives the wrong medications.' He also said the nurse had 'harassed and openly maligned' him. 'He's been sick with untreated medical issues for some time now,' Rimmer added, speaking of Willis. 'We think he may have had a slight stroke while he was asleep, and his cognitive abilities have been greatly hindered,' Willis said he is also protesting the installation of padlocks on the cell doors in death row along with key-operated gates on cages that surround each door. Willis pointed to a 1985 ruling in federal court that addressed similar issues in Tennessee at the time. The judge in that case ruled that the lack of a central locking system and the absence of fire drills were 'serious safety problems' that he ordered the state to address. Willis also is protesting the quality of the food, which makes his hunger strike ''not so difficult',' Rimmer said Willis wrote. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Correction did not immediately have a comment on Wednesday afternoon. Willis was forced to act as his own lawyer during his original trial and has been seeking a new trial, claiming multiple violations of his constitutional rights. On Jan. 22, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals denied his petition. His attorneys are currently considering the next steps. 'In the time that we have represented Mr. Willis we have become aware that inmates are struggling to receive a basic level of medical care,' attorney Josh Hedrick said in an email. 'We hope that Mr. Willis's concerns are heard soon.' The Associate Press contributed to this article.
