Florida carries out its fourth execution of the year: Veteran sentenced for the murder of his partner and three children in 1998

A U.S. Army veteran was executed last Thursday, May 1, in Florida for the shooting murder of his partner and their three young children, a crime that shocked the Crestview community in 1998.

Jeffrey Hutchinson, a 62-year-old Gulf War veteran, was declared dead at 8:15 p.m. after receiving a lethal injection at the Florida State Prison, near Starke, reported the Associated Press, AP.

The execution took place shortly after the Florida Supreme Court rejected a final appeal without comment. This is the fourth execution carried out this year in the state, under orders signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Hutchinson did not make a final public statement, although witnesses reported that he was murmuring to himself as the procedure began. He was observed with trembling legs and spasms for several minutes before becoming still. The entire process lasted just over 15 minutes.

A brutal crime and a call confessing

On the night of the crime, August 25, 1998, Hutchinson had an argument with his partner, Renee Flaherty, 32 years old, packed his belongings and weapons, and left the house to drink beer at a local bar. According to the staff at the establishment, he mentioned that his girlfriend was upset with him before leaving abruptly.

Minutes later, a call to 911 shocked the operators: “I just shot my family,” said a male voice.

The police arrived at the home they shared and found Flaherty and his three children dead, Geoffrey (9), Amanda (7), and Logan (4), all murdered with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Hutchinson was found in the garage, still with the phone connected to 911 and with gunpowder residue on his hands.

During the trial in 2001, Hutchinson claimed that two unknown men had broken into the house and committed the murders, but a jury found him guilty of four counts of first-degree murder. He received a life sentence for Flaherty's death and death sentences for the murders of the three minors.

Over more than two decades, his defense presented multiple appeals, primarily focused on his mental health. The lawyers argued that Hutchinson was suffering from what is known as Gulf War syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and paranoia stemming from his experience as a veteran and his claim of alleged government surveillance.

The Bradford County judge, James Colaw, dismissed the latest attempt to halt the execution on April 27, stating that the condemned fully understood the punishment they were facing.

Hutchinson served for eight years in the Army, some of them as an elite Ranger, and argued that the government had silenced him for his protests about the effects of the war on veterans.

Darran Johnson, brother of the victim, expressed after the execution that "justice has been done, but the family's pain will never end. Not a day goes by without us thinking of our loved ones who were taken from us."

According to official data, 15 people have been executed in the United States so far in 2025. One of the most active states in the application of the death penalty is Florida, where a fifth execution is scheduled for May 15, in which Glen Rogers will be executed, a serial killer convicted of crimes in several states.

The execution that preceded Hutchinson's took place on April 8th, involving Michael Tanzi, a man who murdered Janet Acosta, an employee of the Miami Herald, almost 25 years ago.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Execution of Jeffrey Hutchinson and the Death Penalty in Florida