Nearly 30 years after the tragic murder of a teenage boy and the sexual assault of his mother in Tennessee, a suspect has been arrested.
George Robinson now faces three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of 17-year-old James Hutson, according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. His arrest comes after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the crime scene from 1997.
Authorities reported that on September 6, 1997, James was found stabbed to death, and his mother, Mary Hutson, was assaulted in their home in Kingsport, Tennessee. Although DNA evidence was collected, no matches were found, leading the case to go cold over the years. Tragically, Mary passed away about a year later.
In 2023, investigators reopened the case with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. They sent the 1997 DNA evidence to Othram Labs, a genetic genealogy company, which identified Robinson as a potential suspect.
Authorities later collected a DNA sample from Robinson and compared it to the evidence from that fateful night in 1997. Forensic scientists confirmed that Robinson’s DNA matched that collected from the crime scene.
On November 20, a grand jury indicted Robinson on murder charges. However, he has not been charged with Mary’s assault due to the statute of limitations, as noted by First Judicial District Attorney General Barry Staubus.
When authorities attempted to arrest Robinson, he barricaded himself inside his Kingsport apartment. The county SWAT team was called in, but Robinson allegedly refused to negotiate. After several hours, police managed to enter, but Robinson had shot himself. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment, though there have been no updates on his condition.
