STARKE, Fla. — Jeffrey Glenn Hutchinson, a 62-year-old Gulf War veteran convicted of the 1998 murders of his girlfriend and her three children, is scheduled for execution by lethal injection at 6 p.m. today, May 1, 2025, at Florida State Prison near Starke.
The Florida Supreme Court, in a 6-1 decision issued April 30, 2025, affirmed a circuit court ruling that Hutchinson is competent to be executed, rejecting claims that mental illness renders him unfit for the death penalty. The court also denied Hutchinson’s motion for a stay, clearing the path for Florida’s fourth execution this year.
Hutchinson was sentenced to death in 2001 for the murders of Renee Flaherty, 32, and her children—Geoffrey, 9, Amanda, 7, and Logan, 4—in their Crestview, Florida, home.
Court records state that Hutchinson, after drinking at a bar, returned home, broke down the front door, and fatally shot the family with a pump-action shotgun.
A 911 call, in which Hutchinson allegedly admitted to the shootings, led to his arrest.
Trial evidence included blood and tissue from the victims on Hutchinson, gunshot residue on his hands, and witness identification of his voice on the 911 call, securing his conviction on four counts of first-degree murder.
Hutchinson has maintained his innocence, alleging that two masked intruders, possibly tied to a government conspiracy, committed the murders to silence his activism on Gulf War Illness.
His legal team argued that his military service, including exposure to sarin gas and blast injuries, caused Delusional Disorder, PTSD, and paranoia, impairing his ability to rationally understand the reason for his execution. They claimed Hutchinson views his execution as part of a government plot rather than punishment for the murders.
The competency issue escalated after Governor Ron DeSantis signed Hutchinson’s death warrant on March 31, 2025. Hutchinson requested a sanity evaluation under Florida law, leading the Governor to appoint a three-psychiatrist commission. After a 90-minute evaluation and record review, the commission—Dr. Tonia Werner, Dr. Wade Myers, and Dr. Emily Lazarou—concluded Hutchinson understood the nature of the death penalty and why it was imposed. The Governor lifted a temporary stay, and a circuit court hearing followed.
At the hearing, Hutchinson’s team presented nine witnesses, including legal counsel and two experts, who argued that his delusions violated Eighth Amendment protections under Ford v. Wainwright (1986) and Panetti v. Quarterman (2007). The State’s experts, Dr. Werner and Dr. Myers, testified that Hutchinson showed no signs of Delusional Disorder or other mental illness and rationally understood the connection between the murders and his execution. They described his conspiracy theory as an “alibi” to avoid responsibility, noting its evolution and limited mention in prison interactions.
Bradford County Circuit Judge James Matthew Colaw ruled Hutchinson competent, finding no credible evidence of mental illness impairing his understanding. The Florida Supreme Court upheld this, stating in its per curiam opinion that “competent, substantial evidence” supported the findings. The court confirmed Hutchinson understands he is to be executed for the children’s murders, will die if the execution proceeds, and grasps the State’s reasoning, even if he disputes it. The majority found no legal error, affirming that the circuit court applied correct standards from Panetti and Madison v. Alabama (2019) and allowed sufficient evidence presentation.
Justice Jorge Labarga dissented, citing the case’s unique procedural path and advocating for a stay to further review the issues. The majority, however, found no abuse of discretion in the circuit court’s denial of Hutchinson’s motions for a continuance, additional discovery, or a stay, noting the hearing’s efficiency and full testimony from defense witnesses.
Unless a last-minute reprieve is granted, Hutchinson will face lethal injection tonight, administered via Florida’s protocol of a sedative, paralytic, and heart-stopping drug.
This story is based on the Florida Supreme Court’s April 30, 2025, opinion (SC2025-0590) and related court records.