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The family of Gary Wayne Sutton, a Tennessee death row inmate, is calling on Governor Bill Lee to review his case as the state moves closer to resuming executions.
At a press conference titled “Not Another Christmas Without Gary,” Sutton’s family, supporters, and anti-death penalty advocates gathered to make a heartfelt appeal for clemency and justice.
Carolyn Miller, a member of the "Justice for Gary Wayne Sutton" group, made an emotional plea to Governor Lee during the press conference. “I'm just begging you, Governor Lee, all we are asking is to just sit down and look at Gary's case," Miller said, urging the governor to personally review the evidence.
Gary Wayne Sutton was convicted in 1992 for the murders of siblings Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam in Blount County, south of Knoxville. However, Sutton has consistently maintained his innocence. Advocates argue that the evidence used against him was flawed and unreliable.
Private investigator Heather Cohen, who has been closely following the case, stated, "It is the worst case of injustice that I've ever seen. Gary represents everything wrong with the justice system. It is an example of what happens when the integrity of the investigation is not upheld."
The push for a review of Sutton’s case has intensified due to the holiday season, a time typically associated with family and togetherness.
Carolyn Miller, who had a relationship with Sutton around the time of the murders, highlighted how difficult the holidays are for families of those on death row. “It's just harder on the holidays because this is the time of year you should be with your family,” she said.
Gary’s 94-year-old father, James Sutton, also spoke at the press conference, voicing the pain he’s felt over his son’s incarceration. "It hurt me real bad. Gary didn’t do nothing like that," James Sutton said, visibly emotional as he called for a review of his son’s case. His words reflected the anguish felt by many families of death row inmates, particularly during the holiday season.
Rev. Jeff Hood, a well-known anti-death penalty activist and spiritual advisor to death row inmates, delivered a powerful message during the event. "Christmas is a moment that speaks to what is possible in terms of our criminal justice system — that love can break in, change the hardest of hearts, and make things whole," Hood said.
He emphasized that holding the press conference during the holiday season was an intentional strategy to draw attention to the injustice and bring urgency to the plea for clemency. "When we say not another Christmas without Gary, we are acknowledging that something is wrong. Something is deeply wrong. This is a grave injustice, and it is our job to make it right," Hood said.
Private investigator Heather Cohen and other advocates pointed to several red flags in Sutton's case.
They highlighted issues such as recanted witness testimonies, the questionable placement of shotgun shells at the crime scene, and the fact that the medical examiner who testified in the case later had their medical license revoked. They argue that these issues warrant a thorough review of the case by the governor.
Rev. Hood shared his perspective, drawing from his experiences living in small, rural communities in the South. "As a Southerner, having lived all over the South, in some of these backwoods places I lived and loved, there is a rush to judgment because people were afraid.
And in this situation, there's no doubt that took place," Hood said, suggesting that fear and bias may have played a role in Sutton's conviction.
Despite the public outcry, Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond defended Sutton's conviction. In a statement to local media, Desmond emphasized that the case had been thoroughly reviewed multiple times.
"Dozens of judges have reviewed his case and concluded that the evidence was more than sufficient to uphold his convictions," Desmond said. He dismissed claims of new evidence supporting Sutton's innocence, asserting that these issues had been previously addressed in court.
Tennessee’s recent history with its execution protocol adds another layer of complexity to the case. In 2022, Governor Lee paused all executions and ordered a third-party review of the state's execution procedures, just moments before inmate Oscar Franklin Smith was scheduled to be executed.
Investigations later revealed that Tennessee's lethal injection protocol, first implemented in 2018, had not been properly followed. Reports suggested that expired, compromised, or untested drugs were likely used in two prior executions, leading to renewed scrutiny of the state's death penalty process.
Governor Lee has since signaled that Tennessee is nearing a restart of executions. In September, he stated that the state was “closer than further” to finalizing a new protocol.
Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada later confirmed that the new execution protocol would be ready by the end of the year, according to statements made to state lawmakers.
For the family of Gary Wayne Sutton, however, there is still hope. His supporters argue that Governor Lee has the authority to intervene and prevent another wrongful execution. As Rev. Hood put it, “Not another Christmas without Gary.”
