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Matthew Caylor Found Guilty of First Degree Murder
10/29/09 - 03:05 PM
WMBB News Department
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click for larger image Panama City, Fla:

After more than five hours of deliberation, a 12 person jury finds Matthew Caylor guilty of all counts as charged: first degree murder, sexual battery, and aggravated child abuse.

Caylor killed Melinda Hinson, 13, at the Valu-lodge Motel in Panama City in July of 2008.

When the clerk announced the verdict, Melinda’s family burst into tears, after a draining week of hearing in detail how their teenage daughter was raped and murdered. 

Thursday morning the jury heard closing arguments before getting the case.

The prosecution’s focus was on the reasons why Caylor should be found guilty of first degree murder or premeditated murder.  They even did a demonstration with the telephone cord that Caylor is accused of strangling her with.  Prosecutor Larry Basford said he wanted to show the jury how long it took for Melinda to die.

The defense tried to prove he was only guilty of a second degree offense.  They say he snapped in act of rage.   

In their final words to the jury, both the prosecution and defense were very emotional in their presentations.

“That man is living in a dad-gum fantasy world.  A fantasy world where a shy 13-year-old little girl, who barely knew him, seduced him because she thought he was hot,” said Basford.

“He’s evil for what he did, but did he do it coldly and calculatedly and from a premeditated design? Did he do it because he was forcing himself on this 13-year-old during a sex act? Was he committing child abuse? Was that his intention?  No… his intention was to choke the life out of her and that’s what he did,” said Defense attorney Walter Smith.

Friday is the penalty phase where jurors will recommend a punishment.  The judge has the final say.  The state is pursuing the death penalty.

User Comments

First of all Debby, you need too keep your mouth off of Eugene when you dont even know him. Another thing, your son Billy never offered anything like your insisting that he did to pay Eugene’s way down there for Melinda’s funeral. The situation would have never happened if they didnt follow your son to Florida because does have “OUTSTANDING WARRENTS” on him here in Henderson. And why is your son so concerned about the child saupport money? Does he need it to buy his and Rhonda’s drugs? Anyways…Dont talk crap things that you dont know the facts too. Another thing, Eugene loves everyone of his kids. So now you need too shut up or put up. If you have any questions contact me. Rhonda knows my number. PLEASE DONT BE SHY TOO CALL!!!!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/02  at  11:30 AM

I think the guy should get death, but only after he has been raped by every inmate in Florida first. Then they should turn him over to the every inmate that has had a child harmed for torture. Then they should throw him in a hole for a year with only the voice of the parents played over and over again. Then they should kill him like the dog he is.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/01  at  11:16 PM

i thnk all yall should grow up nd let her rest in peace.all your doing is dragin it out if it where u wouldnt u just like to be laid to rest he got wht he deserved i know yall miss her and loved her but now is the time to let her rest and know that the man that did this to her is now finally beening puinshed there is alot of people that dont agree with his punishment but they need to step back and think about tht if it was ther daugther what they would want done and let her just rest so melinda u were loved and will be missed for the rest of all those people that knew u for the rest of their lifes but u honey now is your time to just rest and know that justice has been served and it was just R.I.P PEACE AND KNOW U R MISSED GIRL

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/31  at  08:43 PM

in case u dnt no this is melindas best friend and she was lke my sister! i think the guy should get just wht he done to if worse!i dnt care wht anyone says hse will always be my bes friend! so all yall tht want to talk bout her dnt keep hatn just gro up nd get over it plzz!no wait i should not hve to say please yall should jsut stop she would never hurt anyone!!

I LOVE U MELINDIA

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/31  at  08:27 PM

ok well as i said b4 nobody is perfect and ppl do make mistakes but i dnt see why ppl have to sit here and talk crap about other ppl.. and hes not my cousin hes my uncle and as far as him bn sick he is… and he did love melinda… but im not gonna sit here and argue with somebody over something that happen 1year ago.. and billy shouldnt feel bad cuz they moved down there he didnt force them it was their choice… but this is childish to argue over this im sure melinda wouldnt want us to argue over her so im done… i loved her and always will and i also love cody to!!!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/31  at  07:12 PM

I really love to read some articles that have great positive impacts on its reader and benefit by reading such article. I admire these writers in sharing their views and or opinions that can enlighten the mind of the readers. Great Job and continue inspiring readers.

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Gold Bulllion

Posted by goldcoinsgain  on  10/31  at  12:19 AM

Like I said before, your cousin could have come to the funeral. He chose not to and it would have been paid for if he came. As far as his illness I’m sorry, but is he really ill or not and Billy was already down there befor Melinda called and asked him if they could come down. If Eugene was such a good parent why didn’t he have custody of his children. I know why, because they felt the mother was better suited. You are right in saying no one is perfect, but he didn’t care about Melinda. He just cared about Cody and where was the child suppot money they were supposed to be getting that was never sent after their move to Florada. Billy blames himself because he let them move there, but he shouldn’t becaused he loves all of them. So my suggestion to you would be to shut up or put up. My son is hurting very badly, but don’t say left town because they were want from the law. This is not so, Billy was there a year before Rhonda and her kids moved there. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/30  at  10:39 PM

okay i agree that this sick person needs to be killed cuz life in prison aint good enough… and incase yall are wonderin who i am.. i am melindas cousin her REAL dad EUGENE HINSONs neice… and first off he wanted to come to melindas funeral we all did but he has his own medical reasons and he had no way down there so if yall got something to say about my uncle u can get over it. yea we all knw every body thinks hes a bad father cuz he didnt go to the funeral well who in the hell says she ever had the perfect parents NOBODY is perfect… we begged them to bring her up to her home town which is henderson to bury her here where all her friends and family could go to the funeral but no they wouldnt do that cuz they was runnin from the police down here so yall all need to shut ur mouth and stop sayin that my uncle is a bad father and yall all remember that melinda was and always will be know with tha last name of HINSON!!!!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/30  at  05:23 PM

I do agree that Caylor should get the death penality. If he gets life in prison I don’t believe he will live very long, because the other inmates will kill him.I don’t believe he will be granted an appeal because of the crimes that was committed on Melinda. As I was watching his family in court it was very said after the verdict was brought back quilty on all counts of 1st degree murder,but where was Melinda’s father because he sure wasn’t there and Cody Melinda’s brother tried to call him after the verdict but he never responded.This really hurt the brother, because he hasn’t heard from his father,Eugene the biological father.The father she really knew was my son Billy and her stepfather Terry McNallan, she wanted to change her last name to McNallan.I know Rhonda was no saint but she loved her kids. Her own father didn’t even come to the funeral and my son offered to pay his way. So, don’t believe everything you hear because it probably isn’t the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/30  at  09:49 AM

how about we save some money, find a big ant pile, then put a pole in the middle then tie him to it!!! now thats a death penalty that he deserves. but like you said some panty-waste lawyer will try to get him the lightest penalty possible.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/30  at  08:34 AM

I think he should get the death penalty but not in the normal way.  Let them put him in with the general population for a while.  Once those guys find out what he’s guilty of, his butt will be mighty sore in more ways than one and his life will always be in jeapordy.  Chances are they’ll do him in before the ink dries on the paperwork.  They may be hardened criminals but they don’t take very kindly to child molestors.  He deserves everything they do to him.  But, as has happened already, some piece-o’-crap lawyer will try to make him out the victim and drag this thing on for years to come with useless appeals and wasted taxpayer money.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/30  at  06:35 AM
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