Summary
In September 1997, a murder and sexual assault was reported at a home in the 400 block of Rock Springs Road in Kingsport, Tennessee. Kingsport is located in the northwest Tennessee counties of Sullivan and Hawkins. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene where 17-year-old James Hutson had been stabbed to death inside of the house, and his mother, Mary Hutson, had been assaulted by an unknown male.
Detectives processed the scene and collected all available evidence, submitting forensic evidence to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Crime Lab for testing. A DNA profile for the suspect was developed and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in hopes that the man would be identified. However, there were no matches to a known individual, and despite extensive investigative efforts over the years, the case remained unsolved.
In 2023, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) detectives reopened the case and began reviewing the evidence. Working with TBI agents as part of the TBI Cold Case Initiative, a decision was made to team with Othram in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the suspect in the case, ending a decades' long mystery.
Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas where Othram’s scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the evidence. Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® was then used by Othram's scientists to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unidentified suspect. Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search and returned new leads to investigators.
A follow-up investigation was launched with the potential suspect identified as George Robinson, who was born March 22, 1964. Investigators located Robinson in Kingsport and obtained a DNA sample from him. The sample and additional evidence were sent to the TBI Crime Lab for further analysis. TBI forensic scientists directly compared Robinson’s DNA with the DNA profile developed from evidence collected in 1997 and concluded it was a confirmed match.
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, a Sullivan County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging George Robinson with murder. On Wednesday morning, as deputies attempted to take Robinson into custody, he barricaded himself inside of his apartment. Sullivan County SWAT responded to Robinson's apartment, which is located along Hillvue Drive in Kingsport, and attempted to negotiate with Robinson. Robinson refused to cooperate. After several hours, the SWAT team made entry into the apartment, at which point Robinson shot himself. Robinson was transported to a local hospital for treatment. At the time of this release, Robinson remains hospitalized.
The identification of George Robinson represents the first suspect identified in Sullivan County and statewide by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation where forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) technology was used. Robinson’s identification represents the 20th publicly-announced case in the State of Tennessee where law enforcement used Othram technology to identify an unknown individual.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.