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Thread: James Cobb Hutto III - Mississippi Death Row

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    James Cobb Hutto III - Mississippi Death Row


    Ethel Winstead Simpson, 81




    Authorities Seek Death Penalty In Clinton Woman's Slaying

    Hutto Also Faces Charges In Alabama

    Mississippi prosecutors want the death penalty for the man accused of killing 81-year-old Ethel Winstead Simpson, but Alabama authorities may get to try the suspect first on crimes there.Simpson's body was found Sept. 17 near Edwards, Miss. The Clinton resident died of blunt force trauma, according to the Hinds County coroner.Police said James Cobb Hutto III, 39, was arrested in Alabama while driving Simpson's car. Birmingham police have charged Hutto with murder in connection with the Sept. 16 death of his aunt, Virginia Rardon, 68. Hutto is also charged in Lee County, Ala., and is accused in the Sept. 17 stabbing and robbery of Mark Ambers Cox, of Opelika, Alabama.

    Hutto's attorney, Todd Crutchfield, did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment.In Mississippi, Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith said he will seek the death penalty. But the Mississippi Attorney General's Office has said that Hutto may remain in Alabama to face charges there first.

    http://www.wapt.com/r/25325821/detail.html

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    Ranting suspect sent out of court

    BIRMINGHAM — A man wanted in a Mississippi murder case was removed from a courtroom amid an expletive-filled rant before a judge ruled prosecutors could seek an indictment against him in his aunt's death.

    James Hutto, 39, of Jasper, is charged in the Sept. 15 beating death of 68-year-old Virginia Rardon, whose killing at her Birmingham residence came during what police say was a two-state rampage of violence.

    The crimes allegedly started with the killing of 81-year-old Ethel Winstead Simpson of Clinton, Miss., whose body was found on a Mississippi hog farm.

    Hutto was arrested Sept. 17 after Auburn resident Mark Cox told Lee County sheriff's deputies that Hutto had robbed him, hit him in the head with a rock and stabbed him with a pitchfork.

    Hutto will be sent to Mississippi to face a capital murder charge in Simpson's death. Local authorities have said they will seek the death penalty against him.

    He also has been indicted in Lee County in the attack on Cox.

    At the proceeding in Jefferson County on the Rardon killing, Hutto became vocal during the brief time he was in the courtroom. Shackled with handcuffs and leg and waist chains, Hutto flipped his middle finger at relatives while sitting next to his attorney, Glennon Threatt. The judge told Hutto to settle down, but he began cursing and continued to do so as he was led back to jail.

    According to testimony from a police detective, Hutto arrived at his aunt's house on Sept. 14, and she was nervous about him staying there. The next day, the two were alone together. A woman who saw Hutto that night said he had scratch marks on his arm and his right hand was swollen. When Rardon's body was found on Sept. 16, she had facial fractures, 18 broken ribs and a broken throat bone.

    The investigator said Hutto was driving Simpson's Mercedes on Sept. 17 when he encountered and attacked Cox, who survived.

    http://www.clarionledger.com/article...t-out-of-court

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    Accused killer back in Miss. to stand trial

    An Alabama man charged with capital murder in the kidnapping and killing of an 81-year-old Clinton woman is scheduled to appear in Hinds County Court this morning to hear the charge.

    James Cobb Hutto, 39, was transferred from a detention facility in Alabama to the Hinds County Detention Center on Saturday, according to the Hinds County Sheriff's Department.

    Hutto, a convicted sex offender, is accused of beating Ethel Simpson and leaving her to die on a hog farm in Edwards in September several days after she was reported missing.

    He then allegedly stole her car and drove it to Alabama, where he is accused of killing his aunt, Virginia Rardon, 68, of Birmingham. He also is charged with attempted murder and first-degree robbery in connection with an attack on Mark Ambers Cox, 56, of Opelika.

    Yet Alabama officials chose to allow Mississippi to have the first crack at the suspect, who has been known for violent outbursts in court since the time of his arrest. During one court appearance in Alabama, Hutto told the judge, "They call me the hit man."

    Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith said he will seek the death penalty against Hutto.

    "He has admitted to being a danger to society. He has a murder charge pending in Alabama. He's made several outbursts in court that display his dangerous nature," Smith said.

    Sheriff Malcolm McMillin would not divulge whether special measures will be taken for Hutto's initial appearance before Judge Houston Patton.

    "We're prepared to handle whatever may happen in Mr. Hutto's case," he said. "We'll push for an indictment, and we're glad we get the first shot at him."

    Simpson's son, Ken Simpson, said his family is happy to see the wheels of justice turning so quickly.

    "We're coming up on six months since it happened, and as a family we're pleased and anxious to see him brought to justice," he said.

    http://www.clarionledger.com/article...ss-stand-trial

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    Bond Denied For Man Charged In Clinton Woman's Death

    Bond was denied Tuesday for an Alabama man accused in the death of an 81-year-old Clinton woman, Hinds County court officials said.

    James Cobb Hutto, 39, is charged with capital murder in connection with the September beating death of Ethel Winstead-Simpson. Her body was found near Edwards on Sept. 17. Simpson had been missing since Sept. 13, when she was last seen with Hutto, police said.

    The Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith said that he will seek the death penalty.

    "Mr. Hutto obviously has demonstrated that he cannot function in society without killing or harming others. He has admitted in court several times that he is a danger to society," Smith said. "I don't see anything productive about keeping him alive. At this point, I believe this is the type of person that's a candidate for the death penalty."

    Hutto also faces charges in Alabama. Birmingham police have charged Hutto with murder in connection with the Sept. 16 death of his aunt, Virginia Rardon, 68. Hutto is also charged in Lee County, Ala., and is accused in the Sept. 17 stabbing and robbery of Mark Ambers Cox, of Opelika, Ala.

    Hutto was transferred from a detention facility in Alabama to the Hinds County Detention Center on Saturday, authorities said.

    http://www.wapt.com/news/27036366/detail.html

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    Attorney 'fired' by accused murderer

    Accused murderer James Cobb Hutto cannot afford an attorney but doesn't want Hinds County Public Defender Bill LaBarre to represent him.

    "He fired me," said LaBarre, who appeared before special Circuit Judge L. Breland Hilburn on Thursday on a motion to withdraw as Hutto's attorney. "I went to speak with him. He told me my services were no longer needed."

    Hutto did not give a reason, LaBarre said.

    The state Office of Capital Defense Counsel now will take over representing Hutto on a capital murder charge accusing him of beating to death an 81-year-old Clinton woman who befriended him last year.

    Andre de Gruy, director of the Capital Defense Counsel office, said Friday he went to visit Hutto at the Hinds County Detention Center to make sure he wanted an attorney.

    "I don't know what the problem was, but he didn't want Bill to represent him," de Gruy said.

    Normally, his office works with the public defender's office in representing a defendant in a death penalty case.

    He didn't know it when he visited Hutto, but de Gruy said Hutto had written him a letter last week asking him to become his attorney.

    Hutto, a convicted sex offender from Jasper, Ala., was indicted in March in the death of Ethel Winstead Simpson. He was returned earlier this year to Mississippi from Alabama, where he also faces charges.

    Hutto met Simpson at the Clinton Baptist Healthplex in September 2010, and she later was seen on surveillance cameras leaving a Vicksburg casino with him, authorities have said. She was missing for several days before her body was found Sept. 17 on a hog farm in Edwards.

    In Alabama, Hutto is accused of killing his aunt, Virginia Rardon, 68, of Birmingham.

    He also is charged with attempted murder and first-degree robbery in connection with an attack on Mark Ambers Cox, 56, of Opelika, Ala.

    Alabama officials chose to allow Mississippi to have the first crack at Hutto. During one court appearance in Alabama, Hutto told a judge, "They call me the hit man."

    http://www.clarionledger.com/article...cused-murderer

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    Defendant absent as murder trial opens

    A man accused in a high-profile murder case elected not to attend the first day of his own trial.

    James Cobb Hutto, 41, stands trial in the 2010 murder of Ethel Winstead Simpson, 81, and could face the death penalty, but he was not present late Monday morning in Hinds County Circuit Court.

    Daryl Smith, a Hinds County assistant district attorney, said Hutto can choose on a daily basis if he will attend. Officials say the trial could last a week or more.

    “He may at some point appear; it’s a daily thing,” Smith said. “You can waive your right to appear. He has a right to be there or not.”

    Simpson’s family was there, however, ready to see justice prevail.

    “We’re glad that this proceeding has started. It’s been over two and a half years,” said son Ken Simpson. “We’re glad to be in court to see the resolution.”

    Police in Mississippi and Alabama charged Hutto, a convicted sex offender, with Simpson’s slaying and the death of his aunt, Virginia Rardon, 68, of Birmingham.

    The jury was selected in Oxford last week and brought to Jackson. Attorneys believed it would have been hard to find jurors in Hinds County who didn’t know about the case.

    Hutto has been known to have outbursts in the courtroom. On one occasion in an Alabama court, Hutto called himself “the hit man” in an appearance shortly after being apprehended, a nod to his on-again off-again forays into ultimate fighting.

    Simpson allegedly met Hutto at the Clinton Baptist Healthplex in early September 2010. She befriended him that day and took him to eat at Taco Bell. Later that week, in spite of warnings from employees of the Healthplex, Simpson went to the casino with Hutto.

    It wasn’t unusual for Simpson, a very busy and independent retiree, to stay out late — even to go out at night by herself, family members said. But this time she didn’t come home. Her brother, who lived with her, noticed she was missing the next morning and called the police.

    As police began their search, few clues could be found. Simpson and Hutto were last seen entering the Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg at 8:36 p.m. Monday, then leaving the casino at 11:40 p.m. A laser identification system used by law enforcement picked up Simpson’s license plate number as her car traveled east on I-20 through Pearl at 3:05 a.m. Tuesday.

    Simpson was missing for several days before being found under a large wooden box on a hog farm in Edwards off Mississippi 22. There was blunt force trauma to her head and neck, Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said. She was identified through dental records.

    Shortly after Simpson’s disappearance, Hutto called his ex-wife and told her he had hit the jackpot at a Vicksburg casino and bought a used Mercedes-Benz. She joked to a friend that she thought he had stolen it, because he was an accomplished liar.

    These aren’t Hutto’s first felony charges. Alabama Department of Corrections officials said Hutto was convicted in 2002 of the sexual abuse of a 17-year-old girl and sentenced to two concurrent 10-year sentences. He served three years and six months before his release in April 2005.

    Walker County, Ala., Sheriff’s Chief Deputy James Painter said in the past that Hutto had been charged with failure to register as a sex offender and making harassing communications since his release from prison.

    When Hutto arrived in Birmingham claiming to have bought a new car, he left Simpson’s Mercedes parked at a grocery store in Hueytown, where his aunt, Lois Rutledge, drove him to pick it up. At one point he asked her if she wanted to see a dead body. She said no.

    The day before Hutto was arrested driving Simpson’s car, his aunt Virginia Rardon, 68, of Birmingham, was found dead. She had also been beaten around the head and upper body.

    Rardon reported to relatives that Hutto had been saying vulgar things to her. Rutledge told Al.com that Rardon had told her, “I’m leery of Jamie.”

    Hutto was finally arrested after police pulled him over on a highway while he was driving the missing woman’s car. He was charged with robbing and trying to kill Mark Ambers Cox, 59, of Opelika. Deputies received a 911 call and found Cox stabbed multiple times in his neck and suffering from cuts and bruises on his face and head. Cox told police that he had met a man who was interested in buying property from him, and the man attacked him after Cox brought him to a wooded area near his Alabama home.

    He is charged with attempted murder and first-degree robbery in that attack.

    Hutto has been held without bond since his arrest shortly after the slaying. Alabama chose to allow Mississippi to have the first crack at the suspect.

    Ken Simpson said he and other family members in town from Texas, will be here for the duration of the court proceedings.

    http://www.clarionledger.com/article...er-trial-opens
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Hutto outburst launches second day of murder trial

    The second day of James Cobb Hutto's trial started off loudly on Tuesday.

    Man charged in Clinton woman's slaying won't attend trial

    A trial is underway for a man charged in connection with the 2010 death of an 81-year-old Clinton woman.
    More

    Hutto, who is charged with capital murder in connection with the 2010 death of 81-year-old Ethel Winstead Simpson, didn't attend the trial Monday, but he was there Tuesday because as he told Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bill Gowan, "I got some things I want to say."

    Hutto jumped up and said he "doesn't give a f*** about the death penalty," and then gave the middle finger to the audience in the courtroom, 16 WAPT's Tammy Estwick reported.

    Hutto also told Gowan that he wants "everything to come out."

    Gowan gave Hutto a warning about the outburst and then testimony continued.

    Witnesses testified Monday about seeing Hutto and Simpson together.

    Investigators said Simpson met Hutto while exercising at the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton. She gave Hutto a ride to a Clinton motel and they were seen later that day entering and leaving a casino in Vicksburg, police said.

    Simpson was reported missing Sept. 13, 2010. Her body was found a few days later on a hog farm near Edwards.

    Hutto was arrested in Alabama the day Simpson's body was found and was charged with robbing and stabbing a man in Lee County, Ala., authorities said. Hutto was driving Simpson's 2002 Mercedes at the time of his arrest, police said.

    The jury was selected in Oxford last week. Attorneys said it would have been difficult to find jurors in Hinds County who had no knowledge of the case.

    Hutto's capital murder trial could last a week or longer, court officials said.

    http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mis...#ixzz2TwWMLcEL
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Another mouthy defendant.

    "I got some things I want to say."

    Hutto jumped up and said he "doesn't give a f*** about the death penalty," and then gave the middle finger to the audience in the courtroom.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Hutto continues to lash out in court

    James Cobb Hutto, who is on trial in connection with the death of a Clinton woman, continues to put on a show in court.

    "They're trying to make a career out of this ... wasting taxpayer money. Why are we doing that?" Hutto said on Thursday. "I have no problem of ending this today. What's the point?"

    Hutto's attorney cited his client's outbursts as one of the reasons Hutto should be declared incompetent, but prosecutors said Hutto is known to make outbursts and disagreed, as did Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Bill Gowan, who ruled against the motion.

    Later in the day, Hutto asked Gowan if he could be excused from court because he was worried he would lash out again. Gowan granted Hutto's request. Before Hutto left the courtroom, he told the judge the score of the Alabama vs. Ole Miss baseball game.

    Thursday's outburst was the third this week.

    "Y'all can kill me today. I don't care. Do it today. No, I'm just saying, they can do it today," Hutto said on Wednesday.

    Hutto is charged with capital murder in the 2010 death of 81-year-old Ethel Winstead Simpson. He is also facing murder charges in an unrelated case in Alabama.

    "There's other murders, crimes in Alabama, attempted murders, and all that in Alabama, now think about that and be fair about that," Hutto said in Wednesday's outburst.

    Prosecutors accuse Hutto of killing Simpson, who had been missing several days before her body was found near Edwards. On Wednesday, the jury watched surveillance video of what appeared to be Hutto and Simpson at Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg. And later, video was shown of what prosecutors said was Hutto at Ameristar Casino.

    http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mis...#ixzz2U9ZoTcbc

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