#Stroupe kidnapped man trial#

Bryson’s family reached out to the District Attorney’s Office after concluding that they would prefer to extend unmerited grace to the defendant and ensure finality and closure for their family. The plea strictly limits Stroupe’s ability to appeal. And if a defendant is sentenced to death, surviving loved ones must endure the uncertainty of years, and most likely decades, of legal appeals that follow.

#Stroupe kidnapped man trial#

A death penalty trial can take months to try in court, and with delays already caused by the pandemic and worsening COVID-19 conditions, it is unclear when the court could complete such a long trial without the threat of mistrial due to COVID-19 exposure in the courtroom. 'A plea prevents the family from reliving horrific details of their loved one’s murder, Murray said. With the support of Bryson’s family, the District Attorney’s Office believes this is the best outcome for the family and the entire community. 'Stroupe’s plea today allows him to avoid the death penalty while assuring he will never again have the opportunity to harm someone outside the confines of his lifelong prison walls. 'Shortly after this heinous crime was committed, the District Attorney’s Office, in consultation with the family, declared this a capital case and until a very recent change of heart by the Bryson family, intended to pursue the death penalty at trial,' Murray's office said. Forensic analysis later determined that the gun Stroupe dropped in the field as he ran matched the bullet that killed Bryson. Officers apprehended Stroupe in the field and took him into custody.īryson’s body was not discovered until days later despite the family’s pleas for Stroupe to disclose their loved one’s whereabouts.

That began a chase that led authorities into McDowell County, where Stroupe abandoned the truck and ran through a field, dropping the handgun as he fled. He spray-painted the base of the truck in an attempt to change its appearance and had plans to dispose of the truck in a lake when a Blue Ridge Parkway Ranger spotted the truck on July 27 and identified Stroupe as the driver. Meanwhile, Stroupe drove Bryson’s truck to Tennessee and eventually back into Western North Carolina. Bryson and left him to die.īryson’s family soon reported him missing. Bryson to a cornfield, where he coldheartedly shot Mr. Taking advantage of the opportunity to steal Bryson’s truck while Bryson was most likely following his routine of checking his mailbox at the end of the driveway, Stroupe kidnapped him. Stroupe eventually made his way through the Pisgah National Forest to the Mills River area, where he encountered Bryson, 68, who was on his way to pick up a family member for a medical appointment on July 26. The incident sparked a days-long manhunt for Stroupe as authorities from multiple agencies began a widespread search. He ran into Pisgah National Forest, where he stole a man’s bicycle at gunpoint. On July 22, 2017, Stroupe fled from deputies at a traffic stop in Transylvania County. Stroupe also received additional consecutive sentences totaling another 304-402 months, which is 25-33 years in prison. Judge Joseph Crosswhite imposed a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. In Henderson County Superior Court, Stroupe pleaded guilty today to first-degree murder, two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, and first-degree kidnapping. “We agree with the family that this sentence, which ensures the defendant will never walk our streets again, hopefully brings some closure not only to the family but the entire community grieving the loss of Tommy Bryson.” “This defendant robbed our community of a salt of the earth, Godly man who was cherished by his family, friends and neighbors,” Murray said in a news release. The agreement was announced Tuesday by District Attorney Andrew Murray, who was appointed chief prosecutor for Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties when Greg Newman was removed in April.