The Mississippi Supreme Court has affirmed the 2014 capital murder conviction of Archie Quinn, who was found guilty of shooting his former girlfriend eight years ago in Oktibbeha County.
While the conviction and life in prison sentence were affirmed, justices on Thursday dismissed Quinn’s attorneys’ argument of ineffective counsel without prejudice, which allows Quinn, 57, of Sturgis, to again raise the allegation in possible post-conviction proceedings.
On Sept. 28, 2008, Terry Johnson called 911 from a neighbor’s house to report a break-in and shooting in his own dwelling. Johnson was able to escape his home through a window after Quinn shot him in the hip with a shotgun.
While Johnson was able to flee the home, his girlfriend, Stacy Gray, 35, remained behind.
Once law enforcement arrived at the scene, they met Quinn driving toward them on the road that led to Johnson’s trailer. Quinn exited the vehicle and shot himself, but he survived.
Gray’s body was discovered in the bedroom.
During Quinn’s trial, a 911 tape of Gray’s call for help was played for jurors. She did not speak with dispatchers, but the call stayed connected as Quinn shot her.
The jury took 45 minutes to deliver the capital murder verdict.
Judge Lee Howard sentenced Quinn to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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