PRATTVILLE, ALABAMA: A man will never see the light of day after being given around 200 years of life behind bars. Hunter James Tatum was awarded two consecutive sentences of 99 years, which means he has to be in jail for 198 years after he was convicted of fatally shooting his wife and their unborn child.
Law & Crime reported that the prosecutors were seeking a death sentence for him after he was indicted on capital murder charges. But he struck a deal with prosecutors and pled guilty to two counts of murder. The 26-year-old took the life of his wife Summer Tatum and their unborn son, Everett Tatum, in October 2021. It has been said that the criminal had first pled not guilty on Monday, June 19, but on June 21, he officially admitted his crime.
Case took 'emotional toll' on DA's team
CJ Robinson, the 19th Circuit District Attorney, reportedly said, "Ninety-nine-year sentences back-to-back accomplishes the same thing as life without, in my view. And for the family, there is finality. There will be no appeals that would come with a death sentence. You can't say it offers the family closure, because I don't feel you can have closure from something like this. But it does allow them to prepare to move on to the next chapter without years of appeals hanging over them."
He also shared on Facebook, “This case took an emotional toll on all of us. The Prattville Police Department did a great job with the investigation and I am so proud of the devotion and commitment of our team at the DA’s Office.”
He continued, “Over 30 of our 44 employees directly contributed in some way to the preparation and presentation of this case. My heart also goes out to the family and friends of Summer and baby Everette. Thank you for trusting us and believing in us as we spoke for you.” Robinson added, "Hunter Tatum has been sentenced to serve 198 years in prison. He pled guilty to 2 counts of murder with a 99-year sentence in each count to run consecutively."
Who is Hunter Tatum?
Hunter is the convicted killer, who took the life of his pregnant wife after his online affair with a woman from England came to light. Summer reportedly wanted to leave him and was preparing for it when he gunned her down. Evidence showing Summer’s last moments disclosed that she desperately pleaded for her life and their baby on October 18, 2021.
She reportedly told Hunter before being hit, “I’ll stay, I’ll stay. I’ll do anything you want. Don’t hurt me, please; don’t hurt our baby. Please don’t hurt our baby.” But the man said, “No. Get away from me,” as he fired two shots into her head using a .38-caliber revolver. Summer, however, did not immediately die and was rushed to Baptist South Hospital in Montgomery by the Prattville Fire Department. At the hospital, her child was also delivered via an emergency C-section. But both of them lost their lives despite the doctors' best efforts to save them.
