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Samuel Flippen

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Samuel Flippen
NCDAC mugshot
Born
Samuel Russell Flippen

(1969-09-30)September 30, 1969[1]
Forsyth County, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedAugust 18, 2006(2006-08-18) (aged 36)
Central Prison, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Cause of deathExecution by lethal injection
Conviction(s)First degree murder
Criminal penaltyDeath (March 7, 1995)
Details
VictimsBritnie Nichole Hutton, 2
DateFebruary 12, 1994

Samuel Russell Flippen (September 30, 1969 – August 18, 2006)[2] was an American man who was executed in North Carolina for murder. Flippen was sentenced to death for the February 1994 murder of Britnie Nichole Hutton, his 2-year-old stepdaughter.[3] Since his execution, there have been concerns raised about his conviction and whether he may have been innocent.[4] He was convicted based on circumstantial evidence, had no criminal record, and maintained his innocence to the end.[5] Britnie Hutton's biological father opposed the execution.[6] Flippen remains the most recent person executed in North Carolina.[7][8]

Incident

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On the morning of February 12, 1994, Samuel Flippen's wife, Tina Gibson, left her home for work in Forsyth County.[9] She left Flippen alone with her daughter; 2-year-old Britnie Nichole Hutton. About one hour later, Flippen called 911 to report that Hutton had fallen from her chair and was having trouble breathing. Medical personnel responded to the call and found Hutton, who looked pale and made gasping-type respirations. Less than an hour later, Hutton was pronounced dead at the North Carolina Baptist Hospital.[10]

A forensic pathologist performed an autopsy on Hutton and observed injuries to her head, neck, chest, abdomen, and back. He stated that Hutton had died due to internal bleeding, caused by severe tearing of her liver and pancreas. He concluded that the injuries could not have been caused by a fall but instead had been caused by punches or blows to the abdomen. Flippen claimed that on the morning of Hutton's death, he had placed her in a high chair and had gone into another room. He reported hearing a loud noise and returned to discover that Hutton had fallen from the chair and was having difficulty breathing. He then called 911 for assistance.[10]

Trial

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Ultimately, Flippen was accused of beating Hutton to death after she would not stop crying. He was charged with first-degree murder.[11] The state offered Flippen the chance to plea to the lesser charge of second-degree murder, which would have spared him from facing a death sentence. He refused, however.[4]

On March 7, 1995, he was found guilty of the murder of Hutton and was sentenced to death. He was found guilty based on circumstantial evidence.[12] In 1997, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned his original death sentence and ordered a second jury to consider Flippen's lack of prior criminal convictions before returning a verdict. The second jury deliberated for more than six hours before recommending a death sentence. On May 23, 1997, Flippen was formally sentenced to death again.[13]

At his trial, Gibson testified that Flippen was a violent husband. Prior to Hutton's death, Flippen had no criminal record and had not been in trouble with the law. Friends of his testified that he was a kind person and instead argued that Gibson was the more likely person to have beaten Hutton to death. Gibson was never considered a suspect and received no punishment. Gibson had reportedly left Hutton alone with Flippen on multiple occasions, despite testifying that he was a violent person. Flippen's lawyers also received a statement from a woman who had looked after Gibson's son in 1999. The statement said that the boy was severely bruised from a supposed beating.[14]

Execution

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On August 18, 2006, Flippen was executed via lethal injection at Central Prison in Raleigh.[15] His last meal consisted of popcorn shrimp, hush puppies, french fries and a Coke.[16] He made no official final statement.[17] Flippen maintained his innocence to the end and throughout his time on death row.[5]

Aftermath

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As of 2024, Flippen remains the most recent person to be executed by the state of North Carolina, which has gone over eighteen years without an execution.[8][18][19] Since Flippen's execution, there has been a de facto moratorium on the death penalty in North Carolina.[20][21] It is now the longest gap between executions since capital punishment was banned in the state between 1962 and 1983.[22][23]

In 2021, Britnie Hutton's biological father, John Hutton, started raising questions about whether Flippen had really killed his daughter. John Hutton's attorneys filed a motion asking a judge to order the Winston-Salem Police Department to hand over their investigative files from the 1994 murder case. In the motion, Hutton's attorneys pointed to the allegation that Tina Gibson had allegedly beat one of her other children years after the death of Britnie Hutton. John Hutton opposed Flippen's execution back in 2006.[6]

On the seventeenth anniversary of Flippen's execution, a crowd gathered at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh to commemorate his death.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Offender Information Samuel R Flippen". North Carolina Department of Correction. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "Samuel Russell Flippen #1041". Clark County Prosecutor. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  3. ^ "NC man gets death sentence after conviction for killing 2 people at Raleigh motel". Winston-Salem Journal. March 4, 2019. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Ford, Steve (May 11, 2015). "When lawmakers itch to execute". NC Policy Watch. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  5. ^ a b O'Neill, Patrick (September 6, 2006). "Witnesses for peace and against execution". Indy Week. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Hewlett, Michael (June 9, 2021). "Nearly 15 years ago, Samuel Flippen was executed for stepdaughter's death. Now, girl's father wants answers about his daughter's death". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Executions 1984 - present". North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Ellis, Mariah (August 19, 2023). "17 years after last NC execution, groups seeking to end to death penalty march to state prison". WNCN. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  9. ^ Janelle, Chantelle (August 15, 2006). "Relatives plead with state to attend execution in NC". WIS. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "State v. Flippen". Justia. November 8, 1996. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  11. ^ "Samuel Flippen Executed". WFMY-TV. August 18, 2006. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  12. ^ Flynn, Paula (August 1, 2006). "Flippen's case cries out for clemency". News & Record. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "46 Relatives Of Death Row Inmate Want To Attend Execution". WRAL-TV. August 12, 2006. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Janelle, Chantelle (August 18, 2006). "NC death-row inmate loses chance to introduce new evidence". WIS. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Gartner, Erin (August 19, 2006). "N.C. executes man for beating death of 2-year-old girl". Star-News. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  16. ^ Galindo, Dan (August 19, 2006). "Local man put to death; Flippen's parents, Britnie's family watch execution". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  17. ^ "N.C. Man Executed Death of Stepdaughter". The Oklahoman. August 18, 2006. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  18. ^ "North Carolina jury sentences man to death for motel deaths". Associated Press. March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  19. ^ Campbell, Tom (April 22, 2021). "NC should abolish the death penalty (copy)". The Daily Reflector. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  20. ^ "The last man to die". News & Record. August 31, 2010. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  21. ^ Stradling, Richard (April 22, 2016). "These days, NC's death row inmates die of natural causes". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  22. ^ Leslie, Laura (August 20, 2011). "After five years, NC's death penalty still in limbo". WRAL-TV. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  23. ^ Blau, Max (May 8, 2015). "North Carolina bill pushes to execute inmates without doctors". The Guardian. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
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