Decorated Gulf War Veteran Faces Execution Despite Combat-Related Brain Injuries
Tallahassee, FL — Today, April 30, 132 veterans representing every branch of the armed forces with a combined 900 plus years of service have signed on to a powerful letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, calling on him to halt the execution of Jeffrey “Ranger” Hutchinson. Hutchinson, a decorated Gulf War veteran, is scheduled for execution on May 1. The letter and its signatures will be hand-delivered to the office of Governor DeSantis at 2 pm today.
Jeff Hutchinson served with distinction from 1986 to 1994 as both a Paratrooper and an Army Ranger, completing some of the most dangerous missions during the Gulf War. During his service, he was exposed to sarin gas and repeated concussive blasts—injuries that resulted in permanent brain damage, neurocognitive decline, and Gulf War Illness (also known as Chronic Multisystem Illness).
In their open letter, these veterans emphasize that Jeff’s untreated psychological wounds contributed directly to his later struggles:
Jeff suffered from neurocognitive impairment, hallucinations, paranoia, and uncontrollable aggression—symptoms we now understand were not character flaws but the result of traumatic brain injury and chemical warfare exposure But instead of receiving care, Jeff was met with silence. The science was not there. The VA was not there. His government was not there.
The veterans explain they are not minimizing the crime for which Jeff was convicted, but instead remind the Governor that he has a duty to recognize and respond to the invisible wounds of war, not to punish those injured in service with death:
We write to you not to excuse his actions, but to demand that we, as veterans, recognize the undeniable truth: Jeff came home injured by war. His mind was a casualty, just like any limb lost in combat. To execute him now is not justice. It is a failure of responsibility. It is the final abandonment of someone our country broke and then left behind.
Additionally, yesterday, the Center for Veteran Criminal Advocacy, the Cornell Law School Veterans Law Practicum, and Disability Rights Florida filed an amicus brief in support of Mr. Hutchinson at the United States Supreme Court. The brief urges the Court to stay the execution and review the serious constitutional issues raised in his petition, particularly the legal protections that prohibit the execution of individuals like Jeff with significant mental health disabilities.
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