A night of drinking with friends ended in an unthinkable tragedy when a young man's decision to drive under the influence led to his best friend being decapitated in a horrific accident.
A Fateful Journey Home
In the early hours of a Sunday morning in August 2004, two lifelong friends, 21-year-old John Kemper Hutcherson and Francis Daniel Brohm, were driving home through Marietta, Georgia, after an evening at the pub. Despite having consumed alcohol, Hutcherson took the wheel with Brohm in the passenger seat.
During the journey, Brohm began to feel unwell. In a move that would prove fatal, he put his head out of the window of the moving vehicle to get some fresh air. In a catastrophic moment, Hutcherson veered off the road, and the car struck a telephone pole support wire. The impact decapitated Francis Brohm.
The Chilling Aftermath
In a turn of events that horrified investigators, Hutcherson did not stop at the scene. He failed to call for emergency services and instead continued driving for another 12 miles to his suburban home. He parked his truck on the driveway, with his headless friend's body still inside, and went inside to sleep in his blood-soaked clothes.
The gruesome discovery was made later that Sunday morning when a neighbour, walking with his baby daughter, spotted the corpse in the vehicle and immediately alerted the police. Upon their arrival, officers found Hutcherson still asleep. When awakened, he expressed remorse for his actions. Authorities confirmed they did not suspect any foul play beyond the initial drunk driving incident.
Legal Repercussions and Family Grief
Following the accident that killed his childhood best friend, Hutcherson was jailed in Georgia on a $100,000 bond. In a surprising act of compassion, the victim’s family pleaded on his behalf. As a result, his bail was reduced to $50,000 and he was released.
District Attorney Pat Head stated the bond was consistent with other vehicular homicide cases, based on flight risk and witness intimidation assessments. The Brohm family's attorney, David Lipscomb, shared their position, stating, "They don't want to see him in jail. Their position is he needs to be out to receive whatever treatment is necessary to put his life back together."
The Brohm family was left devastated, grappling with an immense and sudden loss. Francis' uncle, Tom Goodin, expressed the family's struggle, saying, "It doesn't all make sense to us now. It doesn't seem fair at times." The close relationship between the two families was further highlighted by Francis' grandmother, Elizabeth Goodin, who noted the emotional distress of Hutcherson's own mother.
