James HutchinsAfter a doctor called with the lab results, life would never be the same for a 29-year-old Chattanooga woman.
She learned her husband of nearly five years had given her HIV. He’d never even told her he had it, even though she’s pregnant with his child.
“That day changed my life forever,” she said. “Just because he didn’t pull the trigger doesn’t mean this is not a murder.”
Now James Hutchins, 46, is in Hamilton County Jail facing a charge of criminal exposure to HIV — the second time he has been arrested for the offense. In 1999, he received a six-month jail sentence and was placed on probation for five years when he infected someone else, according to court records.
“He was there when I found out I was pregnant. He was there when they drew the blood. He knew the secret was going to come out,” said the woman, who asked not to be named. “He moved out April 4; I found out April 6.”