A headless body. Victims bludgeoned to death: Notorious mass murderer escapes death penalty

A man who killed eight people in one of Tennessee's worst mass murders will not face the death penalty after pleading guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder.

As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Michael Cummins will face life in prison without the chance for parole.

Cummins, 30, was set to face trial this year for bludgeoning to death multiple people, including a 12-year-old girl, who were found across three crime scenes in a gruesome mass killing that shocked the tiny town of Westmoreland in 2019.

Among the victims were his mother, father and uncle, along with his uncle's girlfriend and her mother and 12-year-old daughter. Their bodies were all found in a home on a wooded country road near the Kentucky border.

Police found the body of a neighbor in another home nearby, and later linked Cummins to the death of an eighth person — a man whose headless body was found outside a burned cabin. 

Prosecutors had originally sought the death penalty. They changed course during jury selection in April when new evidence from a brain scan showed that Cummins has significant mental impairment, said Sumner County District Attorney Ray Whitley.

Whitley, speaking after the hearing, said he likely still had a good case for the death penalty but opted to take the punishment off the table after the victims’ families all agreed to life without parole.  

Whitley said he feels justice has been served in Sumner County. 

“The families were very much in favor of ending it here,” he said. 

The eight victims were:

• David Carl Cummins, 51
• Clara Jane Cummins, 44
• Charles Edward Hosale, 45
• Rachel Dawn McGlothlin-Pee, 43
• Sapphire McGlothlin-Pee, 12
• Marsha Elizabeth Nuckols, 64
• Shirley B. Fehrle, 69
• John Fox Dunn, 63

Speaking before the court, Steven McGothlin, the brother of Rachel McGlothlin and uncle to Sapphire, said he was at a loss for words for the horrific crimes. 

“It’s one thing to lose someone in a natural occurrence, but it’s something totally different to deal with something as heinous as this,” he said. 

“I hope God forgives you,” he said, turning to Cummins. “Because he is the only one.”

Connor Dunn, the nephew of John Dunn, who was found outside the cabin, said his uncle was so much more than a tragic headline.

A forestry major in college, John Dunn was a solitary man who loved nature, tennis and singing Bob Dylan lyrics to his nephew.

“The woods were when he felt most at home,” he said.

Cummins had a lengthy criminal record and a history of violent mental health issues. Years earlier he had tried to commit suicide multiple times while in custody. 

Pale and thin, he nodded quietly and said “yes” to the judge as he agreed to the guilty pleas. 

Cummins' grandmother, Mary Sue Hosale, was the sole survivor of the attack but was badly injured. She died last year due to multiple health issues.

In addition to the consecutive life sentences, he was also sentenced to 25 years for the attempted murder of his grandmother. 

After the slayings in April 2019, Cummins ran from the family home in Westmoreland, Tennessee, and was shot and captured by police after an hours-long manhunt. 

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials at the time called it the state's deadliest homicide event in at least 20 years. They brought in additional mental health support for the first responders who saw the carnage at the crime scenes.

Presiding over the hearing, Judge Dee David Gay said the guilty pleas can hopefully bring some closure to the families, and for a painful time in Westmoreland.

“Mr. Cummins will never see life outside of Tennessee state penitentiary,” he said. “You can rest easy with that.”

Reach Kelly Puente at kpuente@tennessean.com.