Blount County Murder Convict Gary Sutton Asks Governor Bill Lee for a Second Chance

Blount County, Tenn. — In 1992, Connie Branam and Tommy Griffin were murdered in the Smoky Mountains. Now, Gary Wayne Sutton, one of the men convicted of their murders, is asking Governor Bill Lee for a second chance.

Sutton and his uncle, James Dellinger, were sentenced to death by a Blount County jury in 1996. Dellinger died on death row in January 2023. Sutton is still on death row and could be next when executions resume in Tennessee.

Sutton’s family has been pushing for a meeting with Governor Lee, hoping for answers.

Governor Lee recently visited Knoxville and spoke at the L&N STEM Academy. Reporters asked him about the state’s efforts to restart executions. Lee said, “We’re working as fast as we can but making sure we get it right.” He mentioned that his team is working on fixing the lethal injection process, which has been paused for two years.

Back in April 2022, Lee stopped all executions after problems with the lethal injection process were found just before inmate Oscar Smith was set to be executed. The state had issues with the testing and storage of the lethal injection chemicals.

In 1992, news reports from The Daily Times and The Mountain Press described the events leading to Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam’s deaths. Griffin, Sutton, and Dellinger went to a bar in February 1992. After getting drunk, Griffin was arrested. Sutton and Dellinger bailed him out, but Griffin was never seen alive again. His sister, Connie Branam, went looking for him and was killed too.

Journalist Jamie Satterfield covered the case from the time Connie went missing through the trial and appeals of Sutton and Dellinger.

Private investigator Heather Cohen is now working to exonerate Sutton, claiming he had an alibi. Cohen said there were issues with the evidence, including a key witness who wasn’t sure she saw Dellinger’s truck at the scene, despite what was said at trial.

Cohen also raised concerns about crime scene photos showing two spent shotgun shells lying perfectly side-by-side, which she said was suspicious.

The former medical examiner, Charles Harlan, who testified that Tommy Griffin died on February 21, 1992, has since lost his license after being found to have mishandled other autopsies.

Congressman Page Walley is now involved, urging Governor Lee to review Sutton’s case. Walley said, “If we’re going to put someone to death, we need to be absolutely sure the verdict was just.”

Sandy Branam, the daughter of Connie Branam and niece of Tommy Griffin, is certain that Sutton and Dellinger were responsible for the murders. Although she initially wanted them both executed, her views have changed over time. She now believes that life without parole might have been a better option to avoid the lengthy legal battles. However, she thinks Sutton should stay behind bars unless he admits his guilt.