In a quiet McCalla, Alabama neighborhood, the home of the Hutcheson family became the scene of a grim discovery that shattered the community's sense of peace. Twelve-year-old Peyton Hutcheson, a young male, was found dead on June 28, 2015, the victim of a violent act that also claimed the lives of his mother and sister. The subsequent investigation would unravel a story of familial betrayal and ultimate despair.
Concerned relatives, unable to reach the family for a weekend, requested a welfare check at their Coleman Lake Road residence. Responding Jefferson County sheriff's deputies entered the home to find a horrifying scene. In separate rooms lay the bodies of 49-year-old Doris Hutcheson, her 14-year-old daughter Kimberly, and young Peyton. All three had been fatally shot. The crime scene was described by law enforcement as exceedingly violent, with evidence suggesting that Peyton may have been awake and witnessed the horrific events unfold before he too was killed.
The focus of the investigation quickly turned to the patriarch of the family, 47-year-old Stephen Sean Hutcheson, who was missing from the home along with the family's 2005 silver Dodge Stratus. As deputies pieced together a timeline, a disturbing picture of Stephen's actions following the murders emerged. Investigators believe that after killing his family on the night of Friday, June 26, 2015, he spent the weekend with his girlfriend, where they reportedly used cocaine. In an attempt to mislead concerned family members, he allegedly sent a text message from his deceased wife's phone, claiming she was going to the beach for a few days.
A manhunt for Stephen Hutcheson was launched, and he was officially charged with four counts of capital murder, one for each victim and an additional charge for Peyton being under the age of 14. The search, however, came to a somber end on Saturday, July 4, 2015. In a wooded area near Adger, deputies discovered Stephen Hutcheson's vehicle. Inside, they found his body. He had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, taking with him the reasons behind the devastating annihilation of his own family. The tragic end to the search brought a conclusion to the case, but left a community to mourn the senseless loss of three lives.
