Justice at last! Finally, there’s some closure for the family of Jennifer Gail Paxton, who was gruesomely murdered in December 2019. The perpetrator is Sean Finnegan, a 56-year-old man from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Finnegan kidnapped, raped, and tortured Paxton before strangling her to death in his home.
To the relief of Paxton’s family, Finnegan will pay for his crime by death. On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, an Anderson County Criminal Court sentenced Finnegan to death.
Earlier, the court ruled that Finnegan was guilty of a number of serious charges such as two counts of first-degree murder and aggravated rape. Others include aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
Sean Finnegan Kidnapped Jennifer Paxton in December 2019
According to reports, Finnegan kidnapped Paxton in December 2019 and detained her in his Oak Ridge apartment. He chained her to a bed for several days. During this period, he beat her on multiple occasions with a baseball bat. Paxton also had to defecate into a bucket, which Finnegan had provided.
He also raped Paxton before eventually strangling her to death. During the trial, a medical examiner, Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, explained in detail the extent of Paxton’s torture. Using a mannequin, the examiner showed the jurors how much pain Paxton suffered before she died.
After killing Paxton, Sean Finnegan rented a freezer where he stored her body for about eight months. He hid the freezer in a closet in his bedroom. At the time the cops got wind of the crime and searched the house, he had taken the corpse from the freezer and hidden it under his bed. Her body had many cuts, and her nose had been cut off.
Relatives and attorneys described Paxton as a homeless drug addict who took to prostitution to sponsor her upkeep and drug use. A family member also told the court that, at a time, Paxton took up a job as a housekeeper.
Finnegan worked as a cook in a bar called Merchants Drive. At the time of her kidnap, Paxton was living in a homeless camp near Merchants Drive and Chapman Highway in Knoxville. She had seven children, the oldest of which is 21. But she lost custody of them.
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Sean Finnegan’s Girlfriend Testified Against Him
A crucial factor in Sean Finnegan’s sentencing was the testimony of his girlfriend, Rebecca Dishman. Dishman, who is 30 years younger than Sean Finnegan, was with him throughout the incident and witnessed the crime. Prosecutors also believed that she actively participated in it.
Dishman agreed with prosecutors to admit her crime and testify against Finnegan in exchange for life imprisonment. Consequently, she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder before revealing what transpired. Her testimony played an important role in convincing all 12 members of the jury that Sean Finnegan deserved to die.
She told the court that she was in a submissive relationship with Finnegan. She obeyed every one of his instructions, including performing strange sex acts. According to a female juror, she believed most of Dishman’s statements while doubting the others. She believed Dishman tried to portray herself as more of a victim than a participant.
Sean Finnegan Was Sentenced to Death by Lethal Injection
After multiple court dates and extensive deliberations by the jury, the court reached a verdict on the case. At about 11:15 a.m., the judge read out the sentencing. The judge also outlined the considerations that led the jury to their verdict.
The judge stated that the brutality or cruelty of the murder warranted the death penalty. Another consideration the judge cited included the involvement of serious torture and abuse, which were more than enough to lead to death. Also, Sean Finnegan deliberately committed the atrocities and even mutilated the body of the victim after her death.
After dishing out the sentence, the judge disclosed that Sean Finnegan would head for the state penitentiary in Nashville. There, he will face execution by lethal injection. Throughout the court session, Finnegan showed no sign of remorse. He remained emotionless except when his brother’s ex-wife, Roxanne Mundy, testified in his favor.
She told the court how Finnegan suffered abuse as a child. As the judge concluded his reading, Paxton’s family were moved to tears. Almost immediately after the court was dismissed, Finnegan shook his attorney’s hands in appreciation for the effort they put into the case.
After the sentencing, the District Attorney shared thoughts and prayers “with the surviving family members of Jennifer Paxton who have suffered through this horrific process and who have had to hear the details of Jennifer’s last days of captivity, torture, and murder. They have been strong, courageous, and supportive throughout.”
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Why Sean Finnegan May Die of Natural Causes Rather Than Be Executed
Even though the court condemned Finnegan to death, a senior Tennessee lawyer doesn’t believe he will die from the injection. Darrell Winfree, who is a lawyer with Legal Aid for East Tennessee, told reporters that Sean Finnegan will more likely die from natural causes than lethal injection. He disclosed that the appeals process usually lasts for decades.
During that time, Finnegan will endure poor healthcare, which is the usual fate of people with a death sentence. He revealed that healthcare for death row inmates is much worse than that for other prisoners. Moreover, Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, has paused executions by lethal injections for now.
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