James W. Hutchins

Hutchin's triple murder trial As the trial opened on September 17, 1979, Hutchins pleaded not guilty following the prosecutor's demand that he should be executed. Days later, the jury found Hutchins guilty of two counts of first degree murder and one count of second degree murder. The same jury ruled that Hutchins should die in the state's gas chamber. Presiding Judge Donald Smith referred to Hutchins as "the most dangerous man I've ever seen."

The stay was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against Hutchins in a 5-4 verdict, with dissenting Justice William Brennan decrying the quick verdict.

"The most disturbing aspect of the court's decision is its indefensible -- and unexplained -- rush to judgment. When a life is at stake, the process that produces this result is surely insensitive, if not ghoulish," Brennan wrote. Justice Thurgood Marshall said he found the "court's haste outrageous."

Just 40 minutes before his scheduled execution on January 13, the North Carolina State Supreme Court ruled that Hutchins's execution would have to be rescheduled, as state statute requires that a new date of execution must be set whenever a stay of execution is issued and then vacated. His last meal consisted of a steak sandwich and a soft drink. He had no last words.

Charges of political overtones in the execution Leading up to Hutchins' execution, then-North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, a Democrat, was locked in a bitter US Senate election bid against conservative Republican icon and incumbent Senator Jesse Helms. Some charged that Hunt used his position as governor to expedite Hutchins' execution. Hutchins, a poor white male, was noted by politicians to be a "perfect poster boy" to execute prior to the fall election, in order to project Hunt as a tough on crime conservative democrat.

Hunt did not commute Hutchins's death sentence, saying he found "no basis" to overrule court decisions. Aftermath and victims' legacy A previous incident similar to the Rutherford County murders occurred in 1975 when North Carolina Highway Patrolman G.T. Davis of Troop "A" was shot to death in downtown Williamston, Martin County. Davis had stopped a car for running a red light at the US 64 and US 17 intersection, unaware that minutes earlier the car's occupants had robbed a bank in Jamesville, 10 miles to the east. Martin County officials had failed to report the robbery and suspects' description to the Highway Patrol. After these incidents, the State Highway Patrol made a concerted effort to have better and timelier communications with local law enforcement agencies.

Trooper Robert L. "Pete" Peterson was a former US Army and Vietnam veteran who had joined the State Highway Patrol in 1969. He had served as the longest-assigned physical training (PT) instructor in the history of the NC Highway Patrol Training Center, training close to ten trooper cadet classes. In 2016, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol named the physical training field and running track at the agency's training center in Raleigh as "Peterson Field" in honor of Trooper Peterson's legacy as the agency's most famous physical training instructor and in honor of his service. The North Carolina Department of Transportation also dedicated a portion of U.S. 221 in Rutherford County in honor of Trooper Peterson.