Stephen Hugueley

Case information

Name: Stephen Lynn Hugueley

STATUS and procedural posture

Stephen Lynn Hugueley was sentenced to death on September 16, 2003.

Timeline

• August 19, 1986 — Stephen Lynn Hugueley was sentenced to life in prison.
• February 13, 1992 — Stephen Lynn Hugueley was sentenced to life in prison.
• September 16, 2003 — Stephen Lynn Hugueley was sentenced to death.
• January 17, 2002 — Delbert Steed, a correctional counselor at the Hardeman County Correctional Facility, entered F pod to counsel inmates.
• September 2003 — Stephen Lynn Hugueley was convicted of the murder of a counselor at the Hardeman County prison.

Background

Stephen Lynn Hugueley was serving a life sentence for the first degree murder of his mother in 1986 in their home.

He had previously received a life sentence in February 1992 after the murder of an inmate in the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning.

In 1998, the defendant pled guilty to attempt to commit first degree murder of another inmate. The weapon used in the 1998 offense bore similar characteristics to the one used to murder Steed.

The offence

On January 17, 2002, Delbert Steed, a correctional counselor at the Hardeman County Correctional Facility, entered F pod to counsel inmates.

At that same time, Hugueley also entered the pod, approached the table where Steed was sitting, and stabbed Steed in the back.

As Steed fell to the floor, Hugueley continued stabbing him.

Steed was stabbed a total of thirty-six times.

The wounds to Steed were comprised of ten to the chest, one to the abdomen, fourteen to the back, and eleven to the arm. Of the thirty-six wounds, twelve were lethal in and of themselves.

Hugueley intended to kill Steed and purposefully aimed for his vital organs, “the heart and the lung.”

Hugueley stated that he has no remorse for his actions.

Hugueley added that, had his weapon not broken off in Steed’s back, he would have killed a lot more people that day.

Hugueley used a homemade knife.

The knife broke during the incident, with the handle breaking off while Hugueley was stabbing Steed.

Investigation

After Steed was stabbed, another correction officer working on pod control called a Code One, requesting assistance.

An internal affairs investigator with the Tennessee Department of Correction was contacted as a result of the incident.

By the time the investigator arrived at the scene, Delbert Steed’s body had been removed to the infirmary.

At the crime scene, the investigator observed that the weapon removed from Steed’s body was a quarter-inch rod that had been sharpened to a very fine point on one end and was almost eleven inches long.

The pillowcase observed at the scene was actually a torn piece of a sheet that had D cell batteries in one end.

Arrest / custody events during the incident

The pod officer opened the pod door and told Hugueley to stop.

Upon hearing her command, Hugueley raised up and came towards her with the knife drawn back like he was going to stab her, so she shut the door.

Hugueley then returned to stabbing Steed.

Another officer then entered the pod and ordered Hugueley to drop his weapon.

In response, Hugueley stabbed one or two more times until the handle broke on the knife; then he stopped.

Finally, Hugueley complied with the officer’s order and dropped to the floor.

Trial

Hugueley was convicted in September 2003 of the murder of a counselor at the Hardeman County prison where he was being held on a life sentence for the murder of his mother in 1986 in their home.

Hugueley took the stand in his own defense and admitted to killing Steed.

Hugueley waived his right to present any mitigation evidence.

Interrogation / statement

An internal affairs investigator with the Department of Correction was contacted to interview Hugueley at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution later that day.

Before conducting the interview, the investigator had Hugueley acknowledge his rights and sign a waiver form, documenting his willingness to talk.

In his statement, Hugueley admitted that he and Steed had never gotten along.

Hugueley stated that he intended to kill Steed and purposefully aimed for his vital organs, “the heart and the lung.”

Hugueley further stated that he has no remorse for his actions.

Sentencing

Stephen Lynn Hugueley was sentenced to life in prison on August 19, 1986.

He was sentenced to life in prison on February 13, 1992.

In September 2003, he was convicted of the murder of a counselor at the Hardeman County prison.

He was sentenced to death on September 16, 2003.

Other details

Prior convictions and plea

Hugueley was previously convicted of the first degree murder of his mother in 1986, for which he received a sentence of life imprisonment.

In 1992, he was again convicted of first degree murder; a fellow inmate was the victim.