Zane Brown Hill

Case record: Zane Brown Hill

Background

Zane Brown Hill was 62 years old, and he was from Buncombe County. He was executed at Central Prison in North Carolina.

Hill had a long history of terrorizing his wife and children with guns prior to New Year's Day 1990.

Hill’s family included his wife, Bonnie, and their daughter and a son.

The offence

On New Year's Day 1990, Hill threatened to kill his wife and shot his 29-year-old son, Randall, twice in the back.

The shooting occurred when Hill came to his wife's house in violation of a restraining order, and his son held a gun on him while calling police.

Hill claimed self defense, but the jury rejected the plea.

Evidence showed Hill had consumed beer and pain killers earlier. Evidence also showed Hill hit his wife in the head with a gun when she tried to help her son.

Investigation

The case proceeded to trial, where the jury convicted Hill.

Trial

The jury rejected Hill’s self defense claim and deliberated about 30 minutes before convicting him.

Sentencing

After conviction, Hill was sentenced to death.

Appeals

A United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit opinion was referenced as "97-13". An appeal was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review on grounds that prosecutors had not shared all their files with Hill’s defense lawyer.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the plea for review.

Outcome

Hill was executed by lethal injection in North Carolina.

The execution began at 2:01 a.m., and Hill was declared dead at 2:24 a.m. in the death chamber at Central Prison. Hill was strapped to a gurney and covered with a powder blue sheet in the death chamber. Prison officials said the execution took a little longer than usual, but they provided no explanation.

Thirteen witnesses watched the execution through a glass window. Defense lawyer Harold Bender said:

"God rest his soul," said defense lawyer Harold Bender just after prison Warden James French announced Hill's death to 13 witnesses who watched the execution through a glass window.

After leaving the prison, Bender said:

"Tonight, I saw an old man die," Bender said after leaving the prison. "It should not have happened. But the state's machinery of death prevailed. Right now, I'm not very proud to be a North Carolinian."

Hill made no final remarks. Hill made no final statement and did not open his eyes.

Aftermath

Death penalty opponents and Hill's lawyers lobbied Gov. Jim Hunt for clemency. Many protesters outside the prison prayed during a candelight vigil, and some said they were disappointed Hunt did not commute the death sentence.

Gov. Jim Hunt rejected the clemency petition. Hunt rejected clemency because of Hill’s "long history of terrorizing his wife and children with guns" and because Hill had threatened to kill his wife and shot his 29-year-old son, Randall, twice in the back.

Buncombe County District Attorney Ron Moore said that as he watched the execution he was struck by how peaceful it was and how violent Hill's crime had been on New Year's Day 1990. Moore said:

"It would not bother me for 12 jurors trying one of my cases to see what I saw tonight," Moore said.

The prosecutor also said it took courage for Hunt to deny clemency because of pressure from vocal death penalty opponents.

Paul Colbert of Raleigh said:

"I'm disappointed, but it's something I almost expect from the powers that be," "It just seems things are so entrenched that nobody wants to hear a different point of view."

Hill's wife, Bonnie, visited during the day along with their daughter and a son. Hill visited with a minister and his attorneys. During his last day, Hill selected execution by lethal injection and had two large hamburgers with lettuce and tomato and a bottled soft drink as his last meal.

Timeline

• New Year's Day 1990 — Hill came to his wife's house in violation of a restraining order, his son held a gun on him while calling police, Hill threatened to kill his wife, and Hill shot his 29-year-old son, Randall, twice in the back; Hill consumed beer and pain killers earlier and hit his wife in the head with a gun when she tried to help her son.
• 1997 — A 1997 amendment to state statute ensured the crime victim’s family the right to witness the execution.
• August 10, 1998 — Hill selected execution by lethal injection and notified the warden of Central Prison that he preferred lethal injection; Central Prison Warden James French named six official witnesses and five media witnesses for the August 14 execution.
• August 12, 1998 — Hill was moved from death row to Central Prison's death watch area around 6:10 PM.
• August 13, 1998 — Hill ate a special last meal around 5:30 PM that included two whoppers (hamburgers) with lettuce and tomato and a coke.
• August 14, 1998 — The lethal injection was administered at 2:01 a.m.; Hill was declared dead at 2:24 a.m.; the prison Warden announced Hill's death to 13 witnesses who watched through a glass window.

Other details

Hill’s execution witnesses were identified as follows.

Central Prison Warden James French named six official witnesses:

• District Attorney Ronald Moore
• Assistant District Attorney Kate Dreher
• Deputy Sam Constance
• Detective Michael Wilburn Wright
• Captain Patrick Winfield Hefner
• Lt. James Ruben Medford, Jr.

Central Prison Warden James French named five media witnesses:

• Paul Clark, The Asheville Citizen Times
• Kirsten Mitchell, The Hendersonville Times News
• Frank Kracher, WLOS-TV, Asheville
• John Tkach, WPTF Radio, Raleigh
• Estes Thompson, from the Associated Press

Under the Department of Correction policy, the district attorney and sheriff in the county of conviction nominated the six official witnesses, and those witnesses may include members of the victim’s family. The Radio Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas selected the broadcast reporters and the N.C. Press Association selected the two print reporters.

Following the execution, the media witnesses were required to relate their experience to other reporters immediately in Central Prison’s visitor center.

Hill’s last meal included two whoppers (hamburgers) with lettuce and tomato and a coke, and he also had a bottled soft drink for his last meal.

Hill selected lethal injection as his method of execution. The material also stated that if the inmate did not ask for lethal injection, the execution would have been carried out with lethal gas, and lethal gas had been used to execute North Carolina inmates since 1936, with lethal injection becoming an option in 1983.