Nicholas Todd Sutton was born on July 15, 1961, in Morristown, Tennessee. His mother abandoned him at birth, and his father, who was mentally ill and verbally abusive, frequently found himself in mental institutions or jails. Under his father's influence, Sutton developed a drug addiction early in life.

During his teenage years, Sutton's father passed away, and he was taken in by his grandmother, Dorothy Virginia Sutton, a widowed schoolteacher in Lowland. Known by his nickname "Nicky," he dropped out of school due to frequent altercations with classmates. His grandmother supported him financially, but he misused her generosity by spending money on cocaine and caring for his pit bulls. He even sold a pickup truck and a land plot in North Carolina that she had gifted him.

On Christmas Day in 1979, Sutton reported his grandmother missing to the Morristown Police Department. He claimed she was last seen three days earlier with an unknown man. Investigating the family home, police discovered blood stains on the carpets, walls, and floors, suggesting foul play. Sutton was detained for questioning, and tips led investigators to a property in North Carolina. Upon returning, Sutton confessed to placing his grandmother’s body in a bag, weighing it down with a cinderblock, and throwing it into the Nolichucky River. After a two-day search, her body was recovered, showing signs of blunt force trauma and drowning. Sutton was charged with her murder and held on a $100,000 bail.

Sutton later claimed he had panicked and disposed of the body after finding his grandmother dead, denying he was the killer. His story was dismissed, and he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. After his conviction, Sutton alleged that the real killer was Charles Pomery Almon III, a contractor from Knoxville who had been missing for over two months. Sutton claimed Almon attacked them, resulting in his grandmother's death. Sutton purportedly defended himself by shooting Almon and disposing of both bodies in the river. Despite skepticism, authorities considered Almon’s possible involvement due to his missing status and abandoned car found in Newport.

During the investigation, Sutton confessed to another murder: his 19-year-old friend, John Michael Large. Sutton described a fight over money at his aunt's farm, leading to Large's death. He claimed to have buried Large’s body in a shallow grave near Mount Sterling. Police exhumed Large’s body, confirming the cause of death as blunt force trauma with a piece of plywood found in his mouth.

Authorities continued to search for Almon’s body, eventually uncovering remains in a rock quarry near Newport. Sutton then confessed to two additional murders, but these claims were unverified. He was charged with Almon’s murder and, to avoid the death penalty, pleaded guilty, receiving two more life sentences.

While imprisoned, Sutton continued criminal activities, including drug dealing. In 1985, he and three other inmates murdered Carl Isaac Estep over a drug dispute. Sutton and Thomas Street were convicted of first-degree murder, with Sutton receiving a death sentence.

Sutton’s appeals highlighted his troubled past and good behavior in prison, supported by correctional officers and some jurors. Despite this, Governor Bill Lee denied clemency, and the Supreme Court refused a stay of execution. Sutton chose the electric chair over lethal injection and was executed on February 20, 2020, at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. In his final statement, Sutton expressed his faith and gratitude. He remains the most recent person executed by electric chair in the United States as of 2024.