DAMIEN INMAN AT THE TIME OF HIS ARREST IN 2009.
By Betsy Finklea
Damien Inman, one of three defendants charged in the 2009 murder of 75-year-old Mary Alice Stutts, was found guilty of murder, burglary, kidnapping, armed robbery, conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime on Thursday afternoon in General Sessions Court with Judge Paul Burch presiding.
Due to a new ruling, he was not sentenced on all charges on Thursday afternoon. He was sentenced, however, to 30 years for armed robbery, 5 years consecutive for conspiracy, and 5 years consecutive for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The sentencing on the remaining charges will take place at a later date.
Inman was also sentenced to four months consecutive on a charge of contempt of court. When the family of the Mrs. Stutts was taken out of the courtroom for a brief conference, an altercation occurred in which Inman struck a deputy sheriff in the face and spat in the face of the Deputy Solicitor and the Sheriff. The defendant’s sister crossed the bar and was also arrested and held for contempt of court. She told the court that she was trying to pray for her brother. She was sentenced to 15 days.
More about this case will be in The Dillon Herald next week.
MARY ALICE STUTTS
STORIES THAT APPEARED IN THE DILLON HERALD
By Betsy Finklea
The first General Sessions Court trial to be held in the new Dillon County Justice Center is underway this week.
The trial is a retrial of Damien Inman, one of three young men charged in the August 2009 murder of 75-year-old Mary Alice Stutts. Inman won a new trial in June 2014 due to a legal error that occurred during his original trial.
Prior to the start of the new trial, Judge Paul Burch, who is presiding, noted this historic occasion of this being the first General Sessions Court trial held in the new courtroom at the Justice Center. He also noted how large the courtroom is and his appreciation to Dillon County Council and government officials.
Assistant Solicitor Shipp Daniel gave the opening remarks for the state. He said this case was about “the last hours of Mary Alice Stutts’ life.” He said Damien Inman, his brother Lorenzo Inman, and a 15-year-old juvenile, came to the door of Mary Alice Stutts and asked her for water. She directed them to a water hose outside. They pretended they couldn’t get it to come on. She came out, a gun was put in her face and she was hit and knocked to the ground, Daniel said.
One of the young men went inside a got the key. The car was brought around and the trunk opened. The items that Stutts had in the trunk were thrown out of the trunk, and they put her in the trunk and drove off. They turned up the radio in the car so they couldn’t hear her cries for help.
They took her to a dirt road in Little Rock, took her out of the trunk, and she begged for her life. “Please don’t hurt me,’ Daniel said that Stutts pled.
Instead, she was shot twice, and her body was dragged several yards to a ditch.
The boys then rode around in her car. Sometime during the night, the other two young men dropped Damien Inman off.
The two young men were later arrested after a high speed chase. Damien Inman was arrested at Dillon High School.
Daniel then spoke on the hand of one is the hand of all and said duress was not a defense to murder.
All three young men were charged with armed robbery, burglary first degree, grand larceny, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and murder.
Daniel said this mother of two, grandmother of four, and great-grandmother of four tried to help these young men get some water on a hot day and what she got was a “brutal, senseless death” at the hands of three people including Damien Inman.
Inman’s attorney Thurmond Brooker also gave his opening remarks. He said that the judicial system was based on principles, and the first principle was innocent until proven guilty. He said as Inman sits at the table it is with a robe of innocence and for that robe to be removed the state must prove that he is guilty of the crimes he is charged with and nothing had been proven at this point.
Brooker said a citizen never has to prove his or her innocence—that is not his burden. He said proof beyond a reasonable doubt is a high burden.
Brooker said it’s not quite true that the case was about the last hours of Stutts’ life. He said they know what happened in connection with her death. He said the case is about Damien Inman and his involvement if any and what he is responsible for. He said Daniel was attempting to clump all three suspects together. He said there is no DNA evidence or fingerprints that link Damien Inman to the crime so Daniel has to say that “they” did these things.
Brooker also gave his version on the hands of one is the hands of all and duress.
Brooker said the truth was in the details and asked the jury to pay attention.
The State then began to call witnesses. The first to testify was Joshua Lee, Stutts’ grandson, who was the last person known to have seen her before she was abducted.
The next person to testify was Ricky Lee, Stutts’ son-in-law, who testified about going to her house and being unable to locate her. He noticed some unusual things such as the water spigot still running, a key rack not on the wall, a baby stroller that was always in Stutts’ car in the yard, and a single shoe that belonged to Stutts in the yard.
Crystal Norris, a former Dillon Police Officer, who was the first on the scene testified about what she found when she went to the house. She was followed by City of Dillon Detective Jason Turner who testified about the scene, statements he took from the juvenile and Damien Inman, and finding Stutts’ body.
Among those offering testimony on Monday afternoon were Detective Allan Rogers of the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office and Vicki Hallman of SLED.
By Betsy Finklea
Damien Inman, one of three defendants charged in the 2009 murder of 75-year-old Mary Alice Stutts, was found guilty of murder, burglary, kidnapping, armed robbery, conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime on Thursday afternoon in General Sessions Court with Judge Paul Burch presiding.
Due to a recent ruling, he was not sentenced on all charges on Thursday afternoon. He was sentenced, however, to 30 years for armed robbery, five years consecutive for conspiracy, and five years consecutive for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The sentencing on the remaining charges including the murder charge will take place at a later date.
Inman was also sentenced to four months consecutive on a charge of contempt of court. When the family of the Mrs. Stutts was taken out of the courtroom for a brief conference, an altercation occurred in which Inman struck a Dillon County Detention Officer in the face and spat in the face of the Deputy Solicitor Kernard Redmond and Sheriff Major Hulon. The defendant’s sister, Shalona Inman, crossed the bar and was also arrested and held for contempt of court. She told the court that she was trying to pray for her brother. She was sentenced to 15 days. D. Inman was brought back in wearing a spit guard and detention center attire.
“We are thankful to the jury for giving justice to the family of Mrs. Stutts,” said Assistant Solicitor Shipp Daniel. “While we were successful in providing the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt there are certainly no winners here. One family has lost a loved one to a senseless act of violence and another family has lost two of its young men to prison. We will continue to pray for both families.”
This was a retrial for Inman who had been previously convicted of all charges. Inman won a new trial in June 2014 due to a legal error that occurred during his original trial. It was also the first General Sessions Court trial to be held in the new Dillon County Justice Center.
In testimony on Wednesday, the jury heard from the aunt of the juvenile defendant and two young ladies who had seen the three riding around in Mrs. Stutts car. The young ladies said they were acting totally normal. A person incarcerated with the Inmans at the Dillon County Detention Center gave vivid details about the conversations he had with the Inman brothers at the detention center in which they confessed the crime.
The defense called Investigators Jason Turner and Allan Rogers back to the stand to determine if they had received statements from anyone else who said that the Inmans confessed. They had not. Damien Inman chose not to testify.
In the closing arguments, Inman’s attorney, Thurmond Brooker, said the state’s case rested on the witness from the detention center and nothing else. He said Inman didn’t want to be there and was made to be there. He talked about reasonable doubt.
Deputy Solicitor Kernard Redmond made the state’s closing argument and talked about the whole body of evidence that had been presented. He said that even if the jury didn’t believe that Inman was the shooter that in his own statement he admitted he was there and under the law the hand of one is the hand of all. He said that every single piece of evidence including the defendant’s own statement said that he was guilty.
At the sentencing on the charges that he could be sentenced on Thursday, both Daniel and Redmond asked for the maximum sentence. Both Mrs. Stutts’ brother, Harvey Wilkes, and her daughter, Bobbie Lee, also made comments. They also asked for the maximum sentence. Lee looking directly at the defendant said she didn’t understand why they had to kill her. “She would have given you anything she had,” Lee said.
Judge Paul Burch said he was the senior circuit court judge with 24 years this year and that this was one of the most brutal, callous crimes he has ever encountered. He then imposed his sentence.
