Justice for
Gary Wayne Sutton
Gary Sutton awaits execution for the murder of his close friend, Tommy Griffin. Gary has always fiercely maintained his innocence.
Gary’s case is riddled with errors. There is no direct evidence of his guilt. The scientific evidence linking Gary to the case was offered by a now disgraced state medical examiner who lied on the stand and was stripped of his medical license. Moreover, there are other credible suspects who had motive and opportunity to commit Tommy’s murder.
With the death penalty in Tennessee reserved for only the most certain and heinous of circumstances, the State should not put to death a man whose conviction is flawed in so many ways and where so many questions still remain 30 years later.
Gary should not be put to death.
This is Gary.
Gary has been on Tennessee's death row since 1996.
His family has tirelessly fought his conviction since then. To understand the type of person Gary is, his family has shared memories about trips to the fair, horseback rides, and their pleas for mercy.
"He saved my life that day by risking his own life, but that's the type of man he is."
"We need him home with us."
The Case for Gary
There is no direct evidence tying Gary Sutton to the death of his close friend Tommy Griffin.
The prosecution’s key witness Dr. Charles Harlan was a disgraced former Chief Medical Examiner who lied about his credentials and presented bogus scientific testimony that conveniently fit the prosecution’s theory about the time of death.
The prosecution ignored evidence that pointed to anyone other than Gary Sutton and his uncle despite alternative suspects and inconsistencies. For example, Lester “Festus” Johnson is an alternative suspect who had a clear motive for killing Tommy Griffin after he was subpoenaed to testify against him at an unrelated trial–and yet Gary may pay the ultimate price.
