Darrell Hines executed in Tennessee 40 years after motel maid's murder
Tennessee carried out the execution of Darrell Hines on Thursday, more than 40 years after he was convicted of murdering motel maid Catherine Jenkins in Kingston Springs.
Tennessee executes Darrell Hines four decades after Kingston Springs killing
Tennessee executed Darrell Hines on Thursday morning, over 40 years after he was sentenced to death for the murder of Catherine Jenkins, a motel maid from Kingston Springs, wsmv.com reports. Hines was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m., with nearly a dozen members of the Jenkins family present, alongside Hines' own son.
Hines was convicted in 1985 of assaulting, robbing and killing Jenkins. Following decades of appeals to higher courts, both the conviction and the death sentence were upheld.
Family speaks outside the prison
Dennis Jenkins, Catherine Jenkins' son, described the attack in detail outside the prison shortly after the execution.
"He attacked her. The only means of defense she had was a plastic spray bottle," Dennis said. "He superficially cut her, tortured her. He stabbed her 13 times, one of which went all the way through and came out her back."
Dennis said Hines then sexually assaulted his mother with the same knife, before placing a stolen $20 bill under her watchband, taking her car and fleeing the scene. He said the wounds on his mother's arms and hands were so severe she had to be dressed in long sleeves and gloves.
Dennis said he was grateful the governor had not intervened. "Yes, I hope he did suffer. I hope he felt severe pain," he said. "Because what he did to my mother is nothing what he may have just gone through." He also personally thanked Governor Bill Lee for not stepping in to halt the execution.
Melissa Jenkins, Catherine Jenkins' daughter, directed her thanks toward investigators, prosecutors and the district attorney's office.
"For four decades, our family has endured the unimaginable pain and grief of her death," Melissa said. "There is a deep void that will never be filled, a lifetime of memories we were denied because she was taken from us."
She described the broader toll of the killing. "One senseless act not only took her life, but forever changed the lives of the many family members and friends who were robbed of the chance to hug her, laugh with her, hear her stories or see her beautiful smile again."
"While today does not bring closure, nor does it bring my mother back, it does finally bring justice," Melissa said. "After so many years, we are finally able to close this chapter of our lives and begin to heal." The family requested privacy in the days ahead.
Execution drew scrutiny
The execution attracted criticism on two grounds. Hines had suffered two strokes and was left blind and paralysed on his left side, unable to walk and in constant pain. The execution also followed the botched execution of Tony Carruthers in May.
Hines had maintained his innocence for years. His attorney, Katherine Dix, argued the execution was inhumane. "The leaders of this state repeatedly invoke the sanctity of life, but today the state put to death a man who was blind and paralyzed on his left side, could not walk, and was in constant pain," Dix said. "What we witnessed here today is not normal, and I urge us all to not become numb or indifferent to the cruelty."
Thursday's execution was the first successfully carried out in Tennessee this year. The state's next scheduled execution is set for September 30, when Tennessee plans to execute Christa Pike, its only female death row inmate.
Source: Google News JM — Kingston