James Walker and Rex Beckworth were sentenced to death and remains on Alabama Death Row for the murder of Bessie Lee Thweatt. According to court documents James Walker and Rex Beckworth would break into the home of 87 year old Bessie Lee Thweatt and in the process of robbing her home would murder the elderly woman. James Walker and Rex Beckworth would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
James Walker 2021 Information
Inmate:
WALKER, JAMES EARL
AIS:
0000Z699
Institution:
HOLMAN PRISON
Rex Beckworth 2021 Information
Inmate:
BECKWORTH, REX ALLEN
AIS:
0000Z690
Institution:
HOLMAN PRISON
James Walker More News
“The victim, Bessie Lee Thweatt, was at home on the night of January 5, 2000. The 87–year–old woman lived in the same house in Houston County, Alabama, for the past 67 years. She was petite in stature and weighed approximately 112 pounds. She was known to keep money inside the home and her vehicle. On that fateful night, [Rex] Beckworth and stepbrother, James Earl Walker appeared at the Thweatt home. The outside carport light was broken and the phone lines to the house were cut. The assailant broke the back window and entered the home. Mrs. Thweatt’s blood soaked body was later discovered inside her home, which had been ransacked. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
“After the murder, Walker and Beckworth went to Motel 6 where Walker’s sister worked. Beckworth was driving Walker’s vehicle. She (Walker’s sister) rented a room to them in her name at Walker’s request. She saw a .22 caliber rifle in the trunk. A hunter found a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle in the creek at Power Dam Road. He called the Houston County Sheriff’s department and helped retrieve the gun from the water. A state forensic firearm examiner determined that bullet fragments taken from the Thweatt home were .22 caliber. However, the bullets were damaged and the firearm expert could not form an opinion as to a match, although he indicated they were similar. A .22 caliber casing was found at the Thweatt home. The firearm examiner determined that this casing was fired from the .22 caliber rifle pulled from the creek.
“Houston County Sheriffs department investigators focused their attention on Walker and Beckworth. They were known to be living in Etowah County, Alabama. Ron Jones, an officer with the Hokes Bluff police department, knew both Defendants. Providing assistance to the Houston County Sheriffs department, Officer Jones went to [Walker’s] mobile home in June 2000. Defendant Beckworth ran out the door and Defendant Walker hid underneath the love seat in a fetal position. Officer Jones took Walker into custody.
“Once Walker was returned to Houston County from Etowah County he took investigators to the scene of the crime. On video he explained how the two approached the house and that Beckworth broke the rear window and entered the home through that window. He claimed that he never entered the home and later ran from the area when he heard a gun shot. However, a jail inmate, Tim Byrd, testified that Walker admitted to him that he (Walker) had done the killing. Byrd stated that Walker wanted to clear his conscience.
“Dr. Alfredo Parades, a forensic pathologist performed the autopsy on Mrs. Thweatt. Dr. Parades found that the victim was shot at close range due to gunpowder residue on her face. He also noted there were numerous lacerations on the face and three fractures to the cheek. There were a total of nine injuries from blunt force trauma, which included two fractures of the skull. Dr. Parades opined that the victim was alive during the blunt force trauma injuries and these injuries preceded the gunshot wound to the head. The gunshot wound caused the victim’s death. Dr. Parades also testified that Mrs. Thweatt suffered pain.
“The Defense produced four witnesses[;] perhaps the most important was Mark Peacock who was the victim’s grandson. He testified that he knew co-defendant Beckworth from his days as an inmate at Clio. They were incarcerated at the same place. There were discussions between them about Mrs. Thweatt keeping money at her home.”
James Barber was sentenced to death and remains on Alabama Death Row for the murder of Dorothy Epps. According to court documents James Barber knew the victim the majority of his life when he decided to rob and murder the elderly woman. James Barber would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Paul Desmet testified that George and Dorothy Epps owned a farm; that the Epps had an airstrip/runway and airplanes on the farm that they let other people use; and that, before the victim was killed, her husband had informed some of the people who used the runway that he was going to be out of town and had asked them to help by mowing the runway and checking on the victim. He also testified that he and his girlfriend went to the Epps’ farm around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2001, to do some mowing; that one of the other pilots was there and was already mowing; that he knocked on the back door and heard the television playing and dogs barking, but no one answered; that he looked in the back door to the right and yelled, but did not get a response; that he did not remember looking to the left; that he did not notice anything out of the ordinary; and that they stayed for fifteen to twenty minutes and left. Desmet further testified that he called the victim’s house on Monday night, but he did not get an answer. Finally, at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, 2001, he went back to the Epps’ house; that he went to the back door and noticed that everything looked like it had on Sunday; that the television was playing, the dogs were barking, and the lights were on; that he looked in the door to the left and noticed that a stool had been knocked over and that there was an uncharacteristic mess on the floor; that he went in the door, yelled for the victim, looked to his left, and saw the victim on the floor; that he saw a large pool of blood on the floor; that he believed that the victim was dead; and that he immediately contacted law enforcement authorities.
Michael James Beedard testified that he kept his airplane at a hangar on the Epps’ farm; that he went to the farm between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2001, to mow the grass and check on the victim; that he spoke to the victim briefly at that time; and that he left around 7:00 p.m. He also testified that, when he was leaving, he noticed Liz Epps’ white Honda Accord station wagon under a carport at a guest house. However, he noted that he had not noticed that vehicle when he arrived that afternoon.
Investigator Brian Chaffin of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department testified that he responded to a call at the victim’s house at approximately 9:16 p.m. on May 22, 2001; that the victim’s dead body was inside of the house to the left of the back door; that he saw a pool of blood and bloody footprints on the hardwood floor; that there were bloody footprints on the victim’s back; that there was a bloody palm print on the countertop; that the bloody palm print had dried; that the bloody palm print was photographed and a portion of the countertop was collected; and that there were blood spatters against the counter and a refrigerator. He also testified that, at approximately 11:30 p.m. on May 24, 2001, he and other officers located the appellant and a female at a motel; took the appellant into custody; took the appellant to meet with Investigator Dwight Edger; and took the appellant’s fingerprints and palm prints.
Esther Braswell testified that the appellant rented an apartment in the basement of her house in May 2001. She also testified that, on Sunday, May 20, 2001, she saw the appellant as she was on her way to go to church; that, when she returned around noon, the appellant’s van was gone; that, around 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m., the appellant called and asked her if she could cash a $50 check for him; that she said that she could not, but that she could loan him $30; that the appellant said that he wanted the money so he and Liz Epps could go to a movie; that, around 4:00 p.m., the appellant came to her back door, she gave him the $30, he gave her some spaghetti sauce, and he left; that, around 8:00 p.m., the appellant called, told her that he was on his way home in Liz’s vehicle, told her that his keys were in his van, and asked her to open the back door for him; that she did; that, a few minutes later, she saw the appellant in Liz’s vehicle; that the appellant said that he was going to take a shower and then go to a movie with Liz; that he left about 8:30 p.m.; that, about one hour later, she heard a vehicle and saw the appellant’s van outside; and that the appellant stayed home the rest of the night. Finally, Braswell testified that she next saw the appellant around 11:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23, 2001; that the appellant knocked on her back door and asked if she had heard about the victim; that she said that she had not; that the appellant said that someone had beaten the victim to death; and that the appellant was really nervous.
Roger Morrison testified that there was not any blood evidence in the appellant’s van. He also testified that a search of Liz’s vehicle produced positive presumptive reactions for blood on the driver’s seat near the center console, on the front passenger seat near the center console, on the right side of the backrest of the driver’s seat, on the carpet near the accelerator, on the driver’s side visor, on the driver’s side of the center console, on the right shoulder area of the driver’s seat, on the rear of the front passenger back seat, and on the steering wheel. However, he could not confirm that the stains were actually bloodstains, could not confirm that the blood was human, and could not conduct any DNA testing on the areas because the samples were too small.
Investigator Dwight Edger of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department testified that, at the time of the crime, Liz Epps was driving her father’s vehicle; her vehicle was at the Epps’ farm; and the keys to her vehicle were at a key station in the dining room of the Epps’ house. He also testified regarding three interviews he conducted with the appellant, and videotapes of the interviews were played for the jury.
During the first interview, at 9:49 a.m. on May 23, 2001, the appellant was advised of his Miranda1 rights, waived them, and agreed to talk to Edger; repeatedly asked what happened; stated that he was in shock that someone would hurt the victim; and contended that he did not know anything about the murder.
During the second interview, at approximately 1:11 a.m. on May 25, 2001, the appellant was again advised of his Miranda rights, waived them, and agreed to talk to Edger. When Edger advised him that they had narrowed the time of the victim’s death to between Sunday at 4 p.m. and Monday at 10 p.m., the appellant gave an extremely detailed statement about where he had been and what he was doing during those times. Specifically, he contended that he was at home all day Sunday; that he made a pot of spaghetti, which he cooked all day; that he shared the spaghetti with his landlady; that he got up at about 6 a.m. on Monday; that he went to a certain paint store; that he and his brother Mark worked together until about 5 p.m.; that his sister-in-law cooked a nice dinner; that they watched television, including “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”; that he fell asleep on the couch by about 8 p.m.; that he got up about 6:50 a.m. on Tuesday, and his sister-in-law gave him a hard time because she had already been to the gym to work out; that he worked all day Tuesday; and that he spent Tuesday night with Mark. The appellant also stated that he had been doing work for the victim and that he was not quite finished. Upon questioning, he admitted that the victim owed him some money; that they had had a disagreement about whether she would pay him for the part he had already done or pay him all at once when he finished the work; and that the victim had originally wanted to pay him all at once when he finished the work, but they had agreed that she would pay for the part he had done and pay the remainder when he finished his work. The appellant also admitted that he still used cocaine; that he had used about $500 worth of cocaine during the last three weeks; and that his drug dealer had his van, allegedly because he was too intoxicated to drive. Finally, the appellant consented to a search of his residence and his vehicle, and he stated that he did not want to be a suspect.
During the third interview, at approximately 11:15 a.m. on May 25, 2001, the appellant was again advised of his Miranda rights, waived those rights, and agreed to talk to Edger. Initially, he adamantly denied that he killed the victim, even after being advised that officers had recovered his bloody palm print from the crime scene. Thereafter, however, he became very emotional and stated that, on the day of the murder, he had been using cocaine all day; that he thought about going to a movie with the victim’s daughter Liz, but that Liz was in a meeting until late; that he was really “f—ed up” and did not plan to kill the victim; that he went to the victim’s house in his van; that he was talking to the victim; that he suddenly turned around and hit the victim with his hands and then with a hammer; that he threw the hammer in the trash and took the trash bag; that he took the victim’s purse because it looked good and not to rob her; and that he threw the bag, purse, and his shoes in a dumpster at a carwash. The appellant estimated that he killed the victim around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2001. He also made statements to the effect that he just wanted to die; that he did not want a trial; that he wanted to be executed; that he did not want to put the family through it; that he was so sorry and felt so bad for the victim’s family; that the crime was senseless and stupid; that he did not want to face the victim’s family; that he did not want attorneys; and that he wanted to be charged and put to death. In addition, he asked if he was going to get the death penalty, and he noted that it would be devastating to his and the victim’s family. The appellant sobbed and cried throughout the interview and even after the interview was over, repeatedly showing remorse for his actions, and stated that he loved the victim and did not know why he had killed her. Finally, he agreed to write a statement at a later time and confirmed that he still consented to a search of his van and his residence.
Edger also testified that, sometime after May 25, 2001, the appellant asked to speak to him; that the appellant tried to give him a location of where he had been to show that he had not committed the murder; that he told the appellant that he had confessed; and that the appellant tried to say that he had not confessed and tried to act like the third interview had not taken place.
Finally, Dr. Embry testified that, based on his examination of the victim’s body, the victim probably died on Sunday or Monday.
The defense presented the following evidence:
Jerry Barclay, a defense attorney who practiced in Madison County, testified regarding a case in which there were discrepancies in DNA test results in a case in which Roger Morrison was involved.
Scott Millhouse testified that he went to the Epps’ farm at approximately 4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, 2001; that he mowed some grass; that, when he left around 7:15 p.m., he stopped by the back of the house and knocked, but did not get an answer; and that he looked through the back door briefly, but did not see anything.
Mark Barber testified that he is the appellant’s brother and that they helped each other out with work. He also testified that he spoke to the appellant on the telephone around 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2001; that the appellant sounded like he was asleep; and that the appellant said he was watching television and cooking spaghetti sauce and was going to stay home that day. Barber further testified that he worked with the appellant on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, May 21-23, 2001. He also indicated that the appellant spent the night at his house on Monday and Tuesday nights.
Finally, Elizabeth (“Liz”) Epps testified that she had a relationship with the appellant before May 2001; that they had lived together in 2000, but had broken up because the appellant was using painkillers and cocaine; that the appellant returned to his home in Connecticut; that she later asked the appellant to return to Alabama; and that the appellant was not using drugs or drinking at that time. She also testified that, during the time the victim was killed, she was living in another area and was driving her father’s vehicle; her vehicle was parked at the Epps’ farm; and the keys to her vehicle were in the house. Finally, she examined telephone records from the victim’s house and explained that what appeared to be outgoing calls from the residence after the victim was killed were actually instances in which incoming calls were being bounced to an answering service.
Charlie Washington was sentenced to death and remains on Alabama Death Row for the murders of Julian and Florence McKinnon. According to court documents Charlie Washington worked for the victims as a handyman and decided to rob the pair and in the process would murder Julian and Florence McKinnon. Charlie Washington was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Charlie Washington 2021 Information
Inmate:
WASHINGTON, CHARLIE
AIS:
0000Z703
Institution:
HOLMAN PRISON
Charlie Washington More News
Washington worked for the McKinnons as a handyman, helping the McKinnons maintain their home and property in Millbrook. On Monday, January 20, 2003, Washington drove Mr. McKinnon to Clio in Mr. McKinnon’s Chevrolet Suburban sport-utility vehicle, where Mr. McKinnon sold a piece of land he owned in Clio to Joe Carpenter. Outside the presence of Washington, Carpenter gave Mr. McKinnon $10,000 in cash, wrapped in a thousand-dollar money wrapper, as partial payment for the land; the cash was predominately in $100 bills, but also contained $10 and $20 bills. Mr. McKinnon put the money in his coat pocket and, pursuant to a prearranged agreement between Carpenter and Mr. McKinnon, when the two returned to Washington’s presence, Carpenter told Mr. McKinnon that he would mail Mr. McKinnon a check for the land. Before leaving Clio, Mr. McKinnon and Washington stopped at a tractor repair shop, where Mr. McKinnon purchased a leveling arm. Mr. McKinnon paid for the leveling arm with a $100 bill he took from his wallet.
“Mr. McKinnon and Washington returned to the McKinnons’ residence in Millbrook that afternoon at approximately 4:00 p.m., where Mrs. McKinnon was entertaining guests. Because guests were there, instead of driving Washington, who did not have a car at that time, to his home in Montgomery, Mr. McKinnon allowed Washington to borrow his Volkswagen Jetta automobile to drive home. That evening, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Ernestine Howard, Washington’s live-in girlfriend, telephoned the McKinnons looking for Washington, who had not yet returned home. Mr. McKinnon informed Howard that he had lent his car to Washington and that Washington had left the McKinnons’ residence at approximately 5:00 p.m. Later that evening, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Mr. McKinnon telephoned Howard and asked if Washington had made it home yet; he had not.
“At approximately 9:00 a.m. the next morning, Tuesday, January 21, 2003, Howard telephoned the McKinnons; she received a busy signal. Joe Carpenter also attempted to telephone Mr. McKinnon several times on Tuesday, January 21, but received a busy signal each time. The McKinnons’ daughter also received a busy signal on January 21 when she tried to reach her parents. On the morning of Wednesday, January 22, 2003, Carpenter drove from Clio to Millbrook to meet with Mr. McKinnon to complete the sale of the land. On the drive, Carpenter telephoned Mr. McKinnon several times from his cellular telephone and again received a busy signal. When Carpenter arrived at the McKinnons’ residence in Millbrook, he knocked on the door, but no one came to the door. While Carpenter was at the McKinnons’ residence, Howard arrived looking for Washington, whom she had not seen since Monday morning, January 20, when she had driven him to the McKinnons’ residence for work. Howard also knocked on the McKinnons’ door, but no one came to the door. Carpenter then telephoned the McKinnons’ daughter, who told Carpenter where the spare key to the house was located and asked Carpenter to check on her parents. Upon entering the home Carpenter discovered Mrs. McKinnon’s body; he immediately left the home and telephoned emergency 911.
“Law-enforcement officers from the Millbrook Police Department and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (‘the ABI’) responded to the report. Mrs. McKinnon’s body was found at the base of the staircase leading to the second floor of the house; she appeared to have suffered blunt-force trauma. There were bloodstains and splattered blood on the staircase and several gouges in the stairs at the top of the staircase, indicating that Mrs. McKinnon had been attacked at the top of the stairs, and that the attacker, while striking Mrs. McKinnon, missed her and hit the stairs. Mr. McKinnon’s body was discovered in the master bedroom on the second floor; he also appeared to have suffered blunt-force trauma. Several coins—mainly foreign coins, but also some United States half-dollar coins—were found near his body. The telephone in the master bedroom was on the floor, off the hook, and a thousand-dollar money wrapper was found in the master bathroom. The house had been ransacked, and a window in the kitchen area was broken and open. The shattered glass from the window was inside the house, indicating that the window had been broken from the outside; the broken pane of glass was the pane directly above the latch, indicating that the perpetrator had broken the glass and reached in to unlatch and then open the window in order to gain entry into the residence. An autopsy revealed that Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon had both died from blunt-force trauma to the head, which had resulted in skull fractures and brain damage. In addition, Mrs. McKinnon suffered blunt-force trauma to her back, which broke every one of her ribs. The medical examiner testified that the murder weapon was most likely a hard, dense object or tool.
“During the initial investigation at the scene, law-enforcement officers spoke with both Carpenter and Howard. They learned that Washington had been employed by the McKinnons; that Washington had traveled with Mr. McKinnon to Clio on Monday, January 20; that Mr. McKinnon had received $10,000 in cash at that time for the sale of land; that the McKinnons’ Jetta was missing from the house and had been loaned to Washington sometime earlier in the week; and that Howard had not seen Washington in two days. The $10,000 was not found in the house or anywhere on the McKinnons’ property, and law enforcement issued a BOLO—be on the lookout—for the Jetta. That afternoon, patrol officers with the Montgomery Police Department saw the Jetta in the parking lot of John’s Motel on Air Base Boulevard in Montgomery. When the officers learned that Washington had rented a room at the motel, they knocked on the door and arrested Washington when he opened the door. During a subsequent search of the motel room, law-enforcement personnel discovered $1,700 in cash, mostly in $100 bills, crack cocaine, a black baseball-style cap, and various articles of clothing. In the Jetta, they found an additional $6,300 in cash, all in $100 bills, as well as several United States half-dollar coins and one foreign coin.
“Washington was taken to ABI headquarters where he was interviewed. In his statement, Washington stated that Mr. McKinnon had loaned him the Jetta; that he had driven a friend to Atlanta on the night of Monday, January 20, to purchase drugs; that, on the way, they stopped at a truck stop at the Wire Road exit on Interstate 85; that he had ‘had words’ with a waitress at the truck stop regarding his order (C. 289); and that his friend had given him $2,500 in cash for making the trip. Washington did not provide the name of the friend he had allegedly driven to Atlanta. After Washington gave his statement, law-enforcement personnel obtained a search warrant for the clothes Washington was wearing as well as fingernail clippings from Washington. Subsequently, on February 6, 2003, law-enforcement personnel obtained a seizure order for samples of Washington’s hair and saliva.
“․
“The State presented evidence indicating that a hair found clenched in Mr. McKinnon’s left hand was the same size, color, and shape of Washington’s hair; that a smear of blood on the doorframe between the dining room and the laundry room in the McKinnons’ residence contained Washington’s DNA; that a bloodstain on the shirt Washington was wearing when he gave his statement contained both Mr. McKinnon and Mrs. McKinnon’s DNA, as well as Washington’s DNA; and that a bloodstain on one of Washington’s socks found in the motel room contained Mr. McKinnon’s DNA. The McKinnons’ DNA was not found on the jeans Washington was wearing when he gave his statement and no DNA at all was found on the boots Washington was wearing. No fingerprints were found in the McKinnons’ residence and no blood was found in the Jetta. The murder weapon was never recovered.”
Jimmy Brooks and Michael Carruth were sentenced to death and remains on Alabama Death Row for the murder of twelve year old Brett Bowyer. According to court documents Jimmy Brooks and Michael Carruth would shoot the twelve year old three times in the head causing his death. Jimmy Brooks and Michael Carruth would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Jimmy Brooks 2021 Information
Inmate:
BROOKS, JIMMY LEE JR
AIS:
0000Z704
Institution:
HOLMAN PRISON
Michael Carruth 2021 Information
Inmate:
CARRUTH, MICHAEL DAVID
AIS:
0000Z700
Institution:
HOLMAN PRISON
Jimmy Brooks More News
Two years after killing a Phenix City 12-year-old, Jimmy Lee Brooks Jr. is sentenced to death.
He’s on death row, two months after a jury found him guilty of shooting and killing Brett Bowyer, a crime that happened in February, 2002.
Thursday’s sentencing was in Talladega, AL because of change of venue. News Leader 9 had the only TV news camera at the hearing.
Handcuffed and wearing a white prison suit, Brooks walked into court to hear his fate. Judge Al Johnson described the crime in detail, saying the defendant shot 12-year-old Bowyer 3 times in the head.
“They defendant and his accomplice laughed and joked as they threw dirt on the dead child and his father,” Judge Johnson said, from his bench.
The victim’s family say they’re so wounded and angry, this is not closure, but tell us, the judge sentencing Brooks to death is justice served.
“We’re satisfied with the decision. That’s the best we could get,” the victim’s cousin Terry Roberson said. “And the healing’s just ongoing, it’s daily.”
And we asked, what would he say, if was one-on-one with Brooks?
Roberson told us, “I wouldn’t say nothing. I’d strangle him.”
Brooks wasn’t talking either, but the jury foreman from February’s trial spoke up. He was in court Thursday and says capital punishment is the right decision in this case.
“I felt compelled to be here, because I wanted to see how it all ended,” jury foreman Mike Gibbs said. “It just sorta tore at me, but I felt I needed to be here.”
Russell County’s district attorney says execution is the closest to justice as he can get in this case.
Ken Davis said, “In 26 years, I’ve never tried a case that cried out more for, if you will, the death penalty.”
“He (Brooks) is resigned to the fact that he’s gotten the death penalty, but he also understands it’s just the first step in many steps that will have to be taken before he is executed, if he is,” defense attorney Joel Collins said.
Attorneys say appeals are expected for at least a decade.
Collins says Brooks doesn’t deserve to die, because he didn’t plan to kill the 12-year-old and showed remorse.
Judge Johnson relieved Brooks’ two court-appointed defense attorneys of their duties and appointed counsel from Hunstville for the appeals process.
Brooks is now moved to the state prison in Atmoore, Alabama, alonside dozens of others on death row. Brook’s accomplice, Michael Carruth is also there. A jury convicted him of the same murder last year in Russell County.
Stay tuned to news leader nine for any updates on the appeals process.
James Brownfield was sentenced to death and remains on Alabama Death Row for a triple murder. According to court documents James Brownfield would murder Brenda McCutchin, his brother-in-law, Latham McCutchin, and his sister’s 3-year-old grandson, Joshua Hodges. James Brownfield would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
James Brownfield 2021 Information
Inmate:
BROWNFIELD, JAMES BEN
AIS:
0000Z705
Institution:
HOLMAN PRISON
James Brownfield More News
The Alabama Supreme Court has denied the appeal of a Jackson County man’s capital murder convictions and death sentence.
James Ben Brownfield, 43, of Scottsboro, was convicted of three counts of capital murder in 2004 for the murders of his sister, Brenda McCutchin, his brother-in-law, Latham McCutchin, and his sister’s 3-year-old grandson, Joshua Hodges.
According to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, evidence presented at trial established that Brownfield consumed Xanax pills on Dec. 23, 2001, became enraged with his sister over drugs and money, then killed her and Joshua with a claw hammer. Branda McCutchin suffered approximately 20 blows to the head and other injuries to her body. Joshua suffered approximately 16 blows to the head and other injuries to his body. They both died from multiple blunt force injuries.
Brownfield tried to burn the house with kerosene and a cigarette before leaving.
After killing Brenda McCutchin and Joshua, Brownfield took the claw hammer and a set of clean clothes and drove across town to her estranged husband’s home, pretended it was a friendly visit to gain access, then hit him with his fists and the hammer. Latham McCutchin suffered numerous injuries, including 10 forceful blows to the head with the claw hammer. Brownfield then stabbed him in the heart and cut his throat with a knife, Marshall said. Latham died from multiple blunt force injuries.
The Jackson County district attorney’s office prosecuted the case. Brownfield was found guilty, and a Jackson County jury recommended the death penalty. The trial judge followed the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Brownfield to death.
Brownfield’s subsequent attempts to have his convictions and sentence reversed on appeal have been rejected by the courts. The request was denied Friday.
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