Bio

William Charles Morva was born on February 9, 1982, in Midlothian, Virginia. He was a U.S.-Hungarian national. Before the murders, Morva lived in Virginia. In August 2005, he was arrested after an attempted armed robbery connected to the Blacksburg Deli Mart. He remained in custody while waiting for trial in that case.

During this period, later reports stated that Morva showed signs of serious mental illness. After his trial, mental health experts diagnosed him with delusional disorder. His lawyers later argued that this illness affected his thinking before and during the crimes. However, the courts and Virginia governor did not overturn or stop his death sentence on that basis.

Murder Story

William Charles Morva was in custody in Montgomery County, Virginia, while awaiting trial for attempted armed robbery. On August 20, 2006, he was taken to Montgomery Regional Hospital for treatment of injuries. While at the hospital, he attacked a sheriff’s deputy, took the deputy’s gun, and escaped. During the escape, Morva shot and killed Derrick McFarland, a hospital security guard who came to help.

After the shooting, Morva fled, and a large manhunt began in the Blacksburg area near Virginia Tech. The next day, August 21, 2006, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Cpl. Eric Sutphin was searching for him when Morva shot and killed him. Sutphin was found dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Morva was captured later on August 21, 2006, after being found hiding in a briar patch near the area where Sutphin had been killed. He was later charged with capital murder and related offenses.

In 2008, Morva was convicted of capital murder for the killings of Derrick McFarland and Eric Sutphin. A jury sentenced him to death on June 23, 2008. The Virginia Supreme Court upheld his convictions and death sentence in 2009. Later appeals in state and federal court were also unsuccessful. The United States Supreme Court declined to review his case in February 2017.

Before his execution, Morva’s lawyers requested clemency from Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. They argued that Morva had delusional disorder and should receive life imprisonment instead of execution. Mental health groups, some lawmakers, international organizations, and the daughter of one of the victims supported clemency. Governor McAuliffe denied the request, stating that he did not find enough reason to stop the sentence.

William Charles Morva was executed by lethal injection on July 6, 2017, at Greensville Correctional Center in Virginia. He was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m. He was 35 years old.