A man who served in the Gulf War and whose lawyers say was “broken” by it is scheduled to be put to death on Thursday for killing his girlfriend and her three children in 1998.
The 62-year-old Jeffrey Hutchinson was found guilty of killing Renee Flaherty, his girlfriend of 32 years, and her three children, Geoffrey, 9, Amanda, 7, and Logan, 4.
Hutchinson would be the 15th person to be put to death in the U.S. this year and the fourth in Florida if his fatal injection goes through.
Hutchinson’s lawyers have tried to stop the execution by saying that the former Army Ranger’s stress during his service is a mitigating factor.
Hutchinson has tried to appeal, but nothing has worked. Now, only the U.S. Supreme Court or Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis can stop it.
What you need to know about Hutchinson’s death, the case, and the people who were killed.
When is the execution for Jeffrey Hutchinson?
Hutchinson is going to be put to death on Thursday, May 1, just after 6 p.m. ET.
What method will be used to kill Jeffrey Hutchinson?
Hutchinson will be put to death by fatal injection by the Florida Department of Corrections. Among the drugs used by the state are etomidate, rocuronium bromide, and potassium acetate.
What did Jeffrey Hutchinson get caught doing?
A fight broke out between Hutchinson and his girlfriend Renee Flaherty on the night of September 11, 1998. He then put some of his clothes and guns in his truck and went to a bar, while court records show.
According to court records, the barman said that Hutchinson told him that Flaherty was mad at him, and other witnesses said that he drove carelessly when he left.
A forensic pathologist stated that Hutchinson then went back to the house, “busted down” the front door, and shot Flaherty, Amanda, and Logan in the head in the master bedroom.
In court records, the pathologist said that Hutchinson shot Geoffrey last, hitting him in the chest and the head. At the time, the child “was able to see the bodies of his mother, sister, and brother.”
The judge who heard Hutchinson’s case told the Associated Press, “The terror that person felt at that moment is beyond our understanding.”
When Hutchinson called the cops after the killings, he told the operator, “I just shot my family.” Court records show that when the police arrived, he was covered in blood and laying in a daze on the garage floor while holding the phone.