Supreme Court won't hear convicted soldier's murder appeal

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of a former Fort Bragg soldier convicted in the 1985 deaths of a Fayetteville woman and two of her daughters.

Master Sgt. Timothy Hennis is on death row in a military prison following his April 2010 court-martial.

Kathryn Eastburn and two of her daughters, 5-year-old Kara and 3-year-old Erin, were stabbed to death in their Summerhill Road home on May 9, 1985. Jana Eastburn, who was 22 months old at the time, was left unharmed in her crib.

Hennis petitioned the Supreme Court in April to review his case. The justices didn't provide a reason for their refusal.

He was convicted in state court in 1986 but won an appeal and was acquitted in a second trial three years later. He finished out his service in the Army and retired to Washington state.

Years later, DNA tests not available in the 1980s linked Hennis to sperm found on Kathryn Eastburn. Because Hennis couldn't be tried in state court again, the case was turned over to the Army to pursue a court-martial.

5 Comments

WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

5 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments

"GOOD! DNA doesn't tend to lie. Maybe this time he'll be convicted. Scubagirl"

What a shame it is. Had you bothered to read even the first paragraph of the story, "The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal of a former Fort Bragg soldier convicted in the 1985 deaths of a Fayetteville woman and two of her daughters.," You would know that he was convicted and sentenced to state sanctioned murder already. His request was for an appeal. Watch what they're putting in your air tanks:)