Bio

Steven James Rollins was born on August 14, 1964. He grew up in a household affected by divorce. His parents separated when he was young, and he lived with his grandmother. His mother had a low level of education and struggled with health and mental issues. His father was not part of his life, and little is known about him. He had an older brother who served in the Army.

In school, Rollins faced many challenges. He had to repeat seventh grade, and his grades were mostly low, with many Ds and Fs. Teachers noted that he had difficulty reading and writing, describing him as “basically a non-reader.” His academic abilities were evaluated, showing that he had the skills of a second grader. His IQ was assessed as borderline defective, indicating a level of cognitive difficulty.

As a young man, Rollins attended vocational training for auto body work. He also received speech therapy during his school years. There were signs that his family life affected his education and development. Ultimately, he struggled to achieve in school, and these early experiences shaped him in significant ways.

Rollins had a history of legal troubles. By the time he was arrested for murder, he had accumulated numerous felony convictions, including several for aggravated burglary.

Murder Story

On August 22, 2001, Steven James Rollins murdered 81-year-old John T. Bussell during a robbery at Bussell's bait shop in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Rollins planned the crime with help from others. They knew Bussell often had cash on hand because he opened his store late at night for customers.

On that night, Rollins and his companions arrived at the bait shop. Rollins rang the doorbell and, when no one answered, he knocked on the door of Bussell's camper. Bussell came out, thinking Rollins needed to buy bait. Once inside the shop, as Bussell bent over to get minnows, Rollins attacked him with a knife.

After stabbing Bussell multiple times, Rollins checked to ensure he was dead by shaking his body. He then washed his hands and the weapon in the minnow tank. Rollins and his accomplices searched the camper for valuables and stole between $1,000 to $1,200 from Bussell's wallet.

The group then traveled to Knoxville, where they used some of the stolen money to buy drugs. Later, Rollins discarded the victim's belongings, including his wallet, and even threw the weapon into the Holston River.

Rollins was arrested on October 9, 2001, in Michigan after the police traced him following his earlier statements about the robbery. During questioning, he confessed to the murder. The evidence collected pointed to a brutal killing, as an autopsy revealed Bussell had sustained 27 knife wounds.

Rollins was tried and found guilty of premeditated first-degree murder and robbery. He was sentenced to death in June 2003, but this sentence was overturned in 2010, leading to further legal proceedings.