Post by marion on Jun 23, 2006 5:33:13 GMT -5
State Supreme Court grants Rollins stay of execution
Published 06/23/2006
By BECKY CAMPBELL -Kingsport Times-News
KINGSPORT - The state Supreme Court has granted a stay of execution for a Sullivan County man sentenced to die for the brutal killing of an elderly bait shop owner five years ago.
Steven James Rollins, 40, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 81-year-old John T. Bussell.
The well-known bait shop owner was found dead inside his business, which was located at the corner of Fort Henry Drive and Moreland Drive, on Aug. 21, 2001.
A Sullivan County jury sentenced Rollins to death.
He lost his first step in the appellate process last year when the Court of Criminal Appeals denied his claims that the trial court erred by not suppressing the statement he gave police and for refusing to allow a co-defendant, Greg Fleenor, to be taken before the jury to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Rollins' execution date was set for July 26, but the Tennessee Supreme Court granted him a stay until May 9, 2007, after his post-conviction attorney asked for the delay while an appeal of the Court of Criminal Appeals' decision is before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Attorney Donald E. Dawson filed that motion, called a writ of certiorari, June 14.
In the writ, Dawson stated that "the interests of justice dictate that (Rollins') execution be stayed pending the outcome of review by the United States Supreme Court and the time for filing a post-conviction petition."
The high court agreed and granted the stay.
Rollins and two other people - Fleenor and Angela Salyers - were charged in Bussell's death.
Fleenor pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in exchange for a life sentence before Rollins' trial.
Fleenor took the deal to avoid the death penalty.
Rollins testified during his trial that Fleenor was responsible for the actual killing.
Salyers was charged with the same crimes and went to trial but was convicted of a lesser offense - facilitation to commit robbery - and sentenced to four years in prison.
Bussell's body was found the morning after the killing by a friend, and local law enforcement launched a nationwide hunt for the suspects.
Fleenor was arrested in the area, but Rollins and Salyers, who were dating at the time, fled to Michigan. They were apprehended there at a grocery store where Salyers had gotten a job.
Investigators said the three used the money taken from Bussell to go to Knoxville to buy cocaine.
Published 06/23/2006
By BECKY CAMPBELL -Kingsport Times-News
KINGSPORT - The state Supreme Court has granted a stay of execution for a Sullivan County man sentenced to die for the brutal killing of an elderly bait shop owner five years ago.
Steven James Rollins, 40, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 81-year-old John T. Bussell.
The well-known bait shop owner was found dead inside his business, which was located at the corner of Fort Henry Drive and Moreland Drive, on Aug. 21, 2001.
A Sullivan County jury sentenced Rollins to death.
He lost his first step in the appellate process last year when the Court of Criminal Appeals denied his claims that the trial court erred by not suppressing the statement he gave police and for refusing to allow a co-defendant, Greg Fleenor, to be taken before the jury to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Rollins' execution date was set for July 26, but the Tennessee Supreme Court granted him a stay until May 9, 2007, after his post-conviction attorney asked for the delay while an appeal of the Court of Criminal Appeals' decision is before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Attorney Donald E. Dawson filed that motion, called a writ of certiorari, June 14.
In the writ, Dawson stated that "the interests of justice dictate that (Rollins') execution be stayed pending the outcome of review by the United States Supreme Court and the time for filing a post-conviction petition."
The high court agreed and granted the stay.
Rollins and two other people - Fleenor and Angela Salyers - were charged in Bussell's death.
Fleenor pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in exchange for a life sentence before Rollins' trial.
Fleenor took the deal to avoid the death penalty.
Rollins testified during his trial that Fleenor was responsible for the actual killing.
Salyers was charged with the same crimes and went to trial but was convicted of a lesser offense - facilitation to commit robbery - and sentenced to four years in prison.
Bussell's body was found the morning after the killing by a friend, and local law enforcement launched a nationwide hunt for the suspects.
Fleenor was arrested in the area, but Rollins and Salyers, who were dating at the time, fled to Michigan. They were apprehended there at a grocery store where Salyers had gotten a job.
Investigators said the three used the money taken from Bussell to go to Knoxville to buy cocaine.