Why in the hell isn’t Gary Wayne Sutton home?
 
 
Gary Wayne Sutton is an innocent man on death row in Tennessee.  For over 33 years, Gary’s been left to rot.  Most people think that if somebody is on death row then there must at least be some evidence.  In this case, there is not.  The case was never strong.  Gary was just a convenient fall guy.  In fact, there is absolutely nothing that ties Gary to the murder of his close friend Tommy Griffin or Tommy’s sister Connie Branam.
 
Gary and Tommy were best friends.  There was no evidence of any conflict between the two.
 
Gary had no motive to kill Tommy.
 
Dr. Charles Harlan was one of the chief witnesses for the prosecution in Gary’s trial.  The time of death that Dr. Harlan tried to establish was found scientifically impossible by multiple independent experts.  Dr. Harlan lied about how rigor mortis works (or perhaps was too ignorant to describe it correctly).  The prosecution failed to share that Dr. Harlan was under investigation for gross misconduct when he testified at trial.  Ultimately, Dr. Harlan lost his license after he was proven to have lied in multiple cases.
 
It was scientifically impossible that Gary killed Tommy or Connie within the timeframe Dr. Harlan gave.
 
There was another more plausible suspect by the name of Lester Johnson.  Both Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam were scheduled to testify against Johnson.  They had knowledge of Johnson’s brutal rape and attempted murder of a woman named Tina Hartman.  Johnson had the motive and the means to kill Tommy and Connie.  Following a surprise acquittal (that came after Griffin and Branam were murdered and unable to testify), Tina Hartman and her family were stalked and terrorized by Johnson (including death threats and arson).
 
Lester Johnson was never investigated as a suspect.
 
There were conflicting accounts about the vehicles associated with the crime.  One witness claimed to have seen a car in a black box style.  One witness claimed to have seen a pickup truck.  Neither vehicle was every proven to have any connection to Gary Sutton.  *Lester Johnson drove a truck that closely resembled the witness’ description.
 
Shotgun shells were planted at the scene.
 
Even at trial, prosecutors openly worried about the possibility that they were going to have to “cut Gary loose” based on a lack of evidence against him.
 
Multiple state legislators and other politicians have come froward to ask Gov. Bill Lee for a review of the case, including Senator Page Walley (R) and former Lawrence County Mayor T.R. Williams.
 
NO Eyewitnesses.  NO Murder Weapon.  NO Motive.  NO Forensic Evidence.  NO Credible Expert Testimony.  NO Reason for Gary to be in Prison.
 
So…
 
Why in the hell isn’t Gary Wayne Sutton home?

-The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood