Bio

Gary Wayne Sutton was born on March 24, 1969. He grew up in a troubled family environment. His parents divorced when he was very young, and he faced challenges while growing up. Sutton dropped out of school in the eighth grade, which limited his education and opportunities.

As a child, Sutton experienced a difficult upbringing. Reports indicate that his father struggled with alcoholism. This environment affected Sutton, leading him to begin drinking alcohol at the age of twelve. He faced mental and physical abuse stemming from the conflict between his parents. These early experiences contributed to feelings of distrust towards others.

Sutton had a daughter and was described as getting along well with children. Friends and family noted that he had artistic abilities. He enjoyed drawing and created items from wood as gifts and for sale. Despite his troubled youth, Sutton was known to be generous and helpful to his family. He was supportive of his sister-in-law during her surgery and even saved his niece from a fire.

Sutton's life included legal issues, including a conviction for aggravated assault in 1983 in Cobb County, Georgia. 

Murder Story

Gary Wayne Sutton was involved in a series of crimes in February 1992. He, along with James Henderson Dellinger, spent time with Tommy Griffin at Howie’s Hideaway Lounge in Maryville, Tennessee, on February 21. They drank beer and played pool. Around 7:00 p.m., they left the bar in a dark blue Camaro.

Witnesses reported seeing a disturbance involving three men in the Camaro near the side of Alcoa Highway. At that time, a couple noticed two men trying to pull another man, Tommy Griffin, from the back seat. After this incident, Griffin was arrested for public intoxication and taken to jail. He was booked at 7:40 p.m., while Dellinger and Sutton returned to the area around 9:00 p.m.

Later that evening, a resident noticed smoke and flames coming from Griffin's trailer. Jennifer, Griffin's niece, ran to the scene and saw Dellinger and Sutton, who acted evasively when asked about Tommy's whereabouts. Around 11:55 p.m., gunshots were heard near the Little River.

The following day, this led to the discovery of Tommy Griffin's body. He had been shot in the back of the neck with a shotgun. Authorities found shell casings near the body that matched those later located in Dellinger’s yard. An autopsy determined that Griffin died between the night of February 21 and the morning of February 22.

On February 28, Connie Branam, Tommy Griffin’s sister, was found dead in her burned vehicle. The fire was determined to have been set intentionally, and Connie's body was so severely burned that it required dental records for identification. A rifle shell was discovered in the wreckage, leading back to Dellinger’s trailer.

Both Sutton and Dellinger were charged with the first-degree premeditated murder of Tommy Griffin and later convicted. Sutton had a history of violence and was sentenced to death in 1996. In 2011, Sutton's case underwent further legal review but upheld his conviction and sentencing.