Army veteran who said war 'broke' him executed in Florida after murder of mum and three kids

A U.S. Army Gulf War veteran, convicted of the brutal 1998 shotgun of his girlfriend and her three young in 1998, has become the fourth inmate in to be executed this year.

On Thursday, May 1 Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62 was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT but it was delayed two hours. The was administered just after 8p.m. EDT at the Florida State Prison near Starke. Hutchinson was pronounced dead at approximately 8:15 p.m. EDT, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Hutchinson has always denied the heinous crimes and claimed that two unknown assailants perpetrated the killings as part of a U.S. government conspiracy aimed at silencing him over his activism on claims of illnesses and other issues affecting veterans.

READ MORE:

Court records, however, show that on the night of the murders in Crestview, Florida, Hutchinson had argued with his girlfriend, 32-year-old Renee Flaherty, then packed his clothes and guns into a truck. Hutchinson went to a bar and drank some beer, telling staff there that Flaherty was angry with him before leaving abruptly.

A short time later, a male caller told a 911 operator, "I just shot my family" from the house Hutchinson and Flaherty shared with the three children. Upon arrival police officers found Hutchinson in the garage with a phone still connected to the 911 center and gunshot residue on his hands, reports

At his 2001 trial, Hutchinson based his defense on a claim that two unknown men came to the house, killing Flaherty and the children after he struggled with them. A jury found Hutchinson guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison for Flaherty's killing and three death sentences for the children.

Since then, Hutchinson has undertaken numerous unsuccessful appeals, many focused on mental health problems linked to his Army service. In late April, his lawyers sought to delay his execution date by claiming Hutchinson is insane and therefore cannot be put to death. Bradford County Circuit Judge James Colaw rejected that argument.

In their court filings, Hutchinson's lawyers said he suffers from Gulf War Illness - a series of health problems stemming from the 1990-1991 war in - as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and paranoia related to his claim that he was targeted by government surveillance.

One of his lawyers, Chelsea Shirley, said Hutchinson has "a decades-long delusion that he is being executed to silence his efforts to expose government secrets. Two experts have concluded that he is not competent for execution. Based on these facts, we believe the court was wrong to find Mr. Hutchinson competent to be executed, but we are not surprised."

Hutchinson's family has fought for years to raise awareness about his case, even producing a 20-minute documentary-style video about his situation. They insist there is much more to his story than what's been presented in court.

His son, Geoffrey Hutchinson, spoke up in support of Jeffrey in the video. "He was a soldier who didn't get the help he needed when he needed it, before it could have caused further problems. And he at least deserves some leniency for that."

His brother, Robert Hutchinson, previously said in interviews, "I've known this guy my whole life. His mental capacity is definitely diminished." Robert and his sister travelled to Florida this week to meet with Governor DeSantis and visit their brother.