1982 murder victim expected to be exhumed for DNA test on The Murfreesboro Post

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1982 murder victim expected to be exhumed for DNA test

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By: Lisa Marchesoni

Posted: Saturday, May 9, 2009 7:34 am

Prosecutors hope to exhume the body of a beheaded man murdered in 1982 to obtain DNA evidence.

The headless body of Errastus Gene Stump, 28, of Smyrna was found April 28, 1982 near South Lamar Road in northeastern Rutherford County. His head was found later.

Sheriff’s Detectives Lt. Bill Sharp and Sgt. Dan Goodwin of the Cold Case Unit charged suspect Randy Ray McFarlin of Bristol, Va., with Stump’s murder April 30, 2008.

During a hearing Friday, Assistant District Attorney Paul Newman asked Circuit Court Judge Don Ash to continue the trial to exhume Stump’s body. McFarlin’s attorney Luke Evans indicated he will question the identity of the body at trial, prompting the state to seek the delay.

DNA will allow the state to prove the identity of Stump, the prosecutor said. “The state is obligated to go forward and establish identity,” Newman said. Stump’s body is buried in West Virginia. Newman estimated the DNA testing will take three or four months.

Evans said the state should have identified Stump’s body before charging McFarlin. Prosecutors planned to identify Stump from a scar on his leg and Evans took issue with that.

At a preliminary hearing, Goodwin testified there was no physical evidence and now the state wants to bring new evidence, Evans said. Newman said the detective made an unfortunate statement. “There is physical evidence,” Newman said.

Also, Newman said McFarlin has a pending weapons charge in Virginia. He suggested McFarlin could be transferred to Virginia to handle the weapons case while waiting for the DNA. Ash granted the motion to delay the trial for DNA evidence. McFarlin remains in custody.

Tagged under cold case, Murder trial

Member Opinions:

By: RespectTheLaw on 5/9/09
"Prosecutors planned to identify Stump from a car on his leg and Evans took issue with that."

Is that like a tattoo Ms. Lisa or did you mean "scar?"

Dan Goodwin is a good man and I respect his work on this and other cases. He is a great detective, but as Newman said, he "made an unfortunate statement."

This is a prime example of why RCSO needs to hire more personnel. The ones they have on staff right now are so overworked and spread so thin (Dan dealing with Cold Case Unit, felony cases, and, of course, the media) that mistakes have happened ... the biggest of which being the Killings incident in 2008.

By: distraught07 on 5/10/09
WOW!! Lots of exhumations from 1982 murders.

By: citizenkane on 5/12/09
law enforcement is always in need of people, but Dan does not work felony cases, just cold cases and media, which is more than enough.