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Jeffrey Glenn
HUTCHINSON
Classification: Mass murderer
Characteristics: Diagnosed
with Gulf War Illness (Syndrome)
Number of victims: 4
Date of murders:
September 11,
1998
Date of arrest:
Same day
Date of birth:
November 6,
1962
Victims profile: Renee
Flaherty
(his
live-in girlfriend) and her three
children: Logan, 4, Amanda, 7, and Geoffrey, 9
First Judicial Circuit,
Okaloosa County Case # 98-1382
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable
G. Robert Barron
Attorney, Trial: Stephen Cobb –
Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Kepler
Funk, Jack Platt, Keith Szachacz – Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals:
Jeffrey Hazen – Registry
Date of Offense:
09/11/98
Date of Sentence:
02/06/01
Circumstances of Offense:
On the evening of 09/11/98,
Jeffrey Hutchinson and his live-in girlfriend, Renee Flaherty had an
argument.
After the argument, Hutchinson packed some of his clothes and
guns into his truck, left, and went to a bar. Hutchinson told the
bartender, who knew both Hutchinson and Flaherty, “Renee is pissed off
at me.”
Hutchinson drank one and a half glasses of beer and left,
muttering to himself. Witnesses noted that Hutchinson drove recklessly
as he left the bar.
Approximately 40 minutes after
Hutchinson left the bar, there was a 911 call from Hutchinson’s home.
The caller stated, “I just shot my family” and “There were some guys
here.” Friends identified the caller’s voice as Hutchinson’s.
Deputies arrived within 10
minutes of Hutchinson’s call and found him on the ground in the garage.
Deputies found the bodies of Renee Flaherty, Amanda Flaherty (7 years
old), and Logan Flaherty (4 years old) in the master bedroom. Each had
been shot once in the head with a shotgun. Geoffrey Flaherty (9 years
old) was found in the living room, shot once in the chest and once in
the head with a shotgun. Hutchinson had gunshot residue on his hands
and Geoffrey’s body tissue on his leg.
Hutchinson alleged that two men
came into the house, and he struggled with them. They then shot Renee
and the children and fled. Hutchinson was examined at the scene and at
the jail and had no injuries.
Additional Information:
On
05/24/99, Hutchinson was diagnosed with Gulf War Illness (Syndrome).
Trial Summary:
10/05/98
Indicted as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder – Renee Flaherty
Count II: First-Degree
Murder – Logan Flaherty
Count III: First-Degree
Murder – Amanda Flaherty
Count IV: First-Degree Murder – Geoffrey Flaherty
01/18/01
Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment
01/21/01 Jury recommendation waived
02/06/01
Sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder – Renee Flaherty – Life
Count II: First-Degree
Murder – Logan Flaherty – Death
Count III: First-Degree
Murder – Amanda Flaherty – Death
Count IV: First-Degree Murder – Geoffrey Flaherty – Death
Case Information:
Hutchinson filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on
03/07/01, citing the following errors: failing to properly instruct the
jury; admitting excited utterances as testimony; overruling objections
to the State’s closing argument; denying motions for mistrial,
acquittal, and new trial; finding aggravating circumstances; and the
proportionality of the death sentence. On 07/01/04, the convictions and
sentences were affirmed.
Hutchinson
filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 10/20/05 that is pending.
