Life in prison confirmed for stabbing suspect

The long and winding investigation of Trevor A. Matthews has finally reached its conclusion.

Matthews was accused of stabbing Ronnie Sutherland at least 78 times on November 14, 2019, and leaving Sutherland’s body in a field. We now know that Matthews will be spending the rest of his life behind bars. 

His life sentence was confirmed on December 28, through the finalization of an appeal issued by Matthews and his legal team. A jury initially found Matthews unanimously guilty in 2021, but the defense wanted the court to go over a few more things in detail.

They claimed that the plaintiff did not prove he committed second degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt, and that letters not verified to be written by Matthews were admitted as evidence. The defense also posited that the life sentence was excessive.

These claims were denied, and the life sentence was deemed to be fair considering the number of times Matthews stabbed Sutherland. 

Matthews previously provided a handwritten summary where he claimed Sutherland pointed a gun at him, and that he acted in self defense when the latter looked away for a brief moment. Matthews admitted to stabbing Sutherland, and said that the latter still had the gun in hand during his attack.

Objections to review the penmanship of the defendant compared to the prior documentation were overruled, and the court did not sustain the concern about proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Appeal judges said that the jury’s “credibility determination cannot be second-guessed by this court.” Via AmericanPress.com

Matthews will not be able to receive parole for his sentence.

The Johnson Firm stands by the community as a resource to anyone who has been a victim of a violent crime. We can be reached at (337) 433-1414.