Barbour’s office seeks to extradite ‘hit man’ for Mississippi trial

Published 12:00 pm Thursday, September 23, 2010

JACKSON — The governor’s office has filed an extradition request for the return of an Alabama man charged in the death of an elderly Mississippi woman.

Gov. Haley Barbour made the request for Mississippi prosecution Wednesday.

James Cobb Hutto III, who told a court that he is known as “hit man Hutto,” is charged with capital murder in the kidnapping and slaying of 81-year-old Clinton resident Ethel Winstead Simpson.

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She was last seen alive with Hutto, leaving Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg in her Mercedes Benz on Sept. 13. Hours later, Simpson’s car was recorded traveling east in Rankin County.

Four days later, Simpson’s body was found on a hog farm in Edwards. Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart said Simpson had been beaten to death.

Hutto also faces charges in Alabama, where he was picked up Friday while driving Simpson’s car, in the beating death of his great-aunt in Birmingham. Separately, he also is charged with attempted murder and robbery in a Saturday attack on Mark Ambers Cox of Opelika, Ala.

He is being held on $125,000 bond in Lee County, Ala., where he appeared in court Monday.

Funeral services for Mrs. Simpson were scheduled in Clinton today.