GUILTY NC - Stephen White, 46, beaten, burned alive in Greensboro hotel room, 9 Nov 2014

An Army veteran beaten by a man he met at a bar has died in North Carolina, police said.

Stephen Patrick White, 46, died Saturday afternoon at a hospital, Greensboro Police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen said.

White’s longtime partner, Alex Teal, had said White had most of both arms amputated after he was severely burned in a hotel room that caught fire when he was attacked by a man last Sunday. He says White’s condition deteriorated Saturday before he died about 3 p.m.

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Greensboro Police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen confirmed the death when contacted by The Associated Press. She said a 26-year-old man, Garry Joseph Gupton, has now been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the beating...

Jim Olive, a bartender at the Chemistry Nightclub in Greensboro, had said earlier in the week that he had seen White and Gupton leave together in a cab around closing time early on Nov. 9. About 4:30 a.m. that Sunday, an employee at Greensboro's Battleground Inn called 911 to report a man screaming. Around the same time, the fire alarm also was tripped.

Police said Gupton was arrested and the hotel had to be evacuated. Firefighters found White unconscious and badly burned in a fourth-floor room.

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The City of Greensboro has fired the man charged with murder in connection with the fatal assault of an Army vet at a hotel.

The News & Record of Greensboro reports that city spokesman Donnie Turlington says 26-year-old Garry Joseph Gupton was fired from his job in the water resources department on Sunday.

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The man who faces a murder charge in the beating and burning death of Stephen Patrick White barely moved in his video appearance in Guilford County District Court Monday.

In his hearing, that lasted less than 5 minutes, Garry Joseph Gupton, stared blankly and gave one-word answers when asked whether he understood and could hear the court proceedings. The 26-year-old former Greensboro city worker didn’t react when District Court Judge Linda Falls told him he could face the death penalty if convicted...

Officials previously said it appeared White had been struck with a telephone, television, and other small pieces of furniture.

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One month after a Greensboro Veteran died from injuries sustained in an attack at a Triad hotel, the man police believe is responsible was indicted by a grand jury. A Guilford County grand jury indicted Garry Joseph Gupton on charges of Felony First Degree Murder and First Degree Arson...

A hotel employee called 911 around 4:30 a.m on November 9 to report a man screaming in the hotel. At the same time, a fire alarm in the hotel went off. When authorities arrived, they identified the screaming man as 26-year-old Gupton. White was found unconscious in a room with serious injuries including burns on 50-percent of his body...

Police say Gupton and White met the evening of November 9 at bar that catered to LGBT patrons. Greensboro detectives investigated the possibility this crime might have been motivated by hate but police say there was no evidence to confirm that.

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If a judge approves, the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office intends to seek the death penalty in a high-profile slaying of a former city worker accused of setting fire to a hotel room with a man inside.

Garry Joseph Gupton, 27, of 1312 Wiley Lewis Road, is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree arson in the death of Stephen Patrick White, 46, of 1722 Aftonshire Drive.

The district attorney’s office announced in court filings that it will seek the death penalty in the case on two factors, according to Howard Neumann, chief prosecutor with the district attorney’s office. The factors are that the slaying was especially heinous, atrocious and cruel and the death was committed during an arson.

The hearing to determine whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Gupton will be scheduled during the week of May 16 in Guilford County Superior Court.

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Prosecutor Robert Enochs said he would pursue the death penalty because White’s death was especially heinous, atrocious and cruel; the crime was committed during the secondary crime of arson; and the crime committed at great risk of death to other people by starting a fire in a hotel.

After listening to Enochs, Superior Court Judge David Hall announced there are at least two aggravating factors in the case and that it qualifies for capital punishment. The case was continued to an unspecified date. Gupton remains jailed without bail.

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After more than three days of deliberations, seven women and five men found Gupton, 29, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 46-year-old Stephen White.

He was also found guilty of first-degree arson after setting a room on fire at the Battleground Inn, the culmination of an attack on White that ended his life.

Duncan told jurors to expect to hear opening and closing statements, testimony and evidence for a three-day period beginning Nov. 6 before they decide whether Gupton should face the death penalty.

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With a jury about to decide whether Garry Gupton lives or dies, his family and closest friends came together in court Monday to testify in a final effort to save the man they say they will love unceasingly.

Witnesses spent Monday telling jurors about the friendships Gupton formed, the hardships he faced throughout his life and his struggles with whether he was gay or straight.

Those people described a man who was unfailingly kind, gentle and would do anything for those he loved. But in the midst of that love, that same man was battling mental health problems and a series of deaths to those closest to him.

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The defense rested their case Monday afternoon. Assistant District Attorney Robert Enochs declined to present new witnesses, evidence or rebuttal witnesses other than what had been offered during the trial.

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A judge tonight sentenced Garry Gupton to life in prison without parole in the death of Stephen White, who was savagely beaten before being set on fire almost three years to the day the attack took place.

The jury of seven women and five men began their deliberations late Tuesday afternoon before returning with a verdict just after 5 tonight.

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On the third anniversary of the fire that ultimately killed Stephen White, a jury chose to spare the life of his killer.

“Stephen was our beloved son, brother, and uncle and loyal friend who served our great country with honor and courage,” the family said in a written statement to the media. “Justice would not have been served without the jurors’ attention, energy and time away from their families.”

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White’s sister Kathy Clark spoke to the jurors before Duncan sentenced Gupton.

“I promise you he is looking over you with a grateful heart,” she told them. “My mother is grieving and we will continue to grieve for the rest of our lives, but we are at peace now that the murderer is convicted.”

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