Time of Death Podcast

❓ What is this case about?

🟠 The state of Tennessee is going to execute Gary Wayne Sutton on December 3, 2026, for the February 1992 homicide of his best friend, Tommy Griffin, and Tommy's sister, Connie Branam.

🟠 But this case has problems: no motive, no witnesses, scientific evidence that disputes that state's timeline, 6 alibi witnesses, a bad search warrant, a medical examiner stripped of his license, unexplored alternate suspects, and 34 years of consistent, vehement innocence claims.

❓ Who are the victims?

🟠 Tommy Griffin, 24, and his sister, Connie Branam, 34, were two of Ben and Viola Griffin's 10 children. They were natives of Sevier County, Tennessee, and made their home on Bluff Heights Road on the side of Bluff Mountain. Tommy was an amputee and had a prosthetic leg after a serious car accident when he was 19. Connie was married to Boyd Branam, who worked at a local textile mill. According to testimony in court, there was some dysfunction within the Griffin family as well as within the Branam household.

❓ Who is Gary Wayne Sutton?

🟠 Gary Sutton was convicted for killing Connie in 1993 and for killing Tommy in 1996. The conviction for killing Tommy came with a death sentence. His uncle, James Dellinger, was convicted for the same crimes and also sentenced to death, though he succumbed to cancer in 2023 while awaiting execution.

🟠 Gary had his issues — he grew up in a rough home, and he only had a middle school education. He'd had some brush-ups with the law and a handful of charges relating to choices he made while intoxicated. For the time – which was rural East Tennessee in the early 1990s – Gary would have been considered a hell-raising country boy. That's not to excuse his prior behavior, but to contextualize it.

❓ Where is Gary incarcerated?

🟠 Gary is on death row at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee. Because of his good behavior, he is permitted to participate in wood shop and other art activities. Gary is a talented carpenter and artist.

❓ What's the point of Time of Death Podcast?

🟠 When I heard about the Gary Wayne Sutton story, I started researching and found so much conflicting information online, and I realized that I wanted to make a cohesive, factual record based on original source material of the case, the original legal maneuvers, and the final months prior to his execution. Gary has support from people who have stood by him since the day he was arrested, and he has a legal team working on a few last ditch efforts to spare his life.

❓ What are the ongoing legal moves in Gary's case?

🟠 In March 2026, a Blount County judge ordered Gary Sutton to be examined for an intellectual disability, and there was a multi-day hearing to determine his intellectual capacity scheduled for late May 2026. Tennessee's attorney general, Jonathan Skrmetti, intervened and appealed the Blount County judge's ruling to the state court of criminal appeals. The appeals court issued a stay in the proceedings and has not ruled further.

🟠 It is entirely possible that the appeals court will sit on the case without ruling, and then the state would still execute Gary in December with the intellectual disability claim outstanding.

🟠 It is illegal to execute someone with an intellectual disability per a 2002 US Supreme Court ruling in Atkins vs. Virginia.

❓ Have you talked to the Griffin family?

🟠 No, but I have reached out via an email address I found, and I've replied to some social media comments asking them to reach out. I would be honored to hear from them because their story in all of this matters as well, and I want to know more about Tommy and Connie.

❓ Who is researching and writing Time of Death Podcast?

🟠 That would be me, Beth Braden. I'm an East Tennessee native and I graduated from the University of Tennessee with my journalism degree. I have always lived in East Tennessee, and I make my home in Knoxville. I've worked for local newspapers, national brands, and well known podcasts. Time of Death is my first foray into a solo podcast. I am doing my own research, reporting, fact-checking, interviewing, writing, recording, audio editing, and social media.

❓ How often does the podcast come out?

🟠 The first 8 episodes were released weekly, but the podcast has now dropped to an every-other-week release schedule.

❓ Where do I find Time of Death Podcast?

🟠 Time of Death is currently available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and iHeart. I am working on getting it pushed out to smaller platforms, but that's a work in progress.

❓ How can I support the show?

🟠 The biggest one is to tell your friends – both online and in person – and talk about the show on all of your social media platforms. You can also just share this post! If you want to support me financially, consider buying me a coffee. Send me a DM for sponsorship and/or brand partnership opportunities.

Join Beth Braden on a real-time investigation into the crimes, the victims, the men accused, and the legal system that deemed them subject to death