Authorities captured a suspect nearly three decades after a teenage boy was found killed and his mother sexually abused inside a Tennessee house.
George Robinson has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the 1997 killing of 17-year-old James Hutson after his DNA was allegedly found at the crime scene, according to a news statement from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.
According to authorities, on September 6, 1997, the teenage boy was stabbed to death and his mother, Mary Hutson, was sexually raped in their Kingsport, Tenn., home. DNA evidence was gathered on the scene and sent for testing. However, no match was discovered, and the case eventually fell cold.
WJHL reports. Mary died about a year later.
In 2023, investigators revived the case and began analyzing evidence, with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The DNA evidence from 1997 was transferred to Othram Labs, a genetic genealogy company in Texas, in May, and Robinson was identified as a possible suspect, according to the release.
Authorities said they just received a DNA sample from Robinson and compared it to DNA evidence collected at the crime scene in 1997. Forensic specialists then claimed Robinson’s DNA was a proven match to the DNA evidence.
On November 20, a grand jury indicted Robinson on murder charges. According to WJHL-TV, First Judicial District Attorney General Barry Staubus stated that Robinson has not been charged in connection with Mary’s sexual assault because of the statute of limitations.
When officials attempted to arrest Robinson that morning, he reportedly locked himself inside his Kingsport, Tennessee, apartment. The county SWAT team arrived and attempted to speak with Robinson, but he “refused to cooperate,” investigators claimed.
According to the announcement, officials were able to enter the residence after several hours and found Robinson shot himself. Authorities claimed he was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but did not provide any information on his condition.