An Augusta man's murder conviction and death sentence were upheld Monday by the Georgia Supreme Court.

Robert O. Arrington, 62, has been on death row since a Richmond County Superior Court convicted him in May 2004 for the brutal beating death of a George Road woman who had allowed Mr. Arrington to live in her home for a time.

Kathy Hutchens, 46, was last seen alive in early April 2001. Mr. Arrington, who had served 15 years in prison for killing his wife, denied responsibility for Ms. Hutchens' death. The evidence against him included one of his fingerprints in Ms. Hutchens' blood, and her blood was found on his boots.

Also Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld two other murder convictions connected to local cases.

One involved a man who beat to death his girlfriend's 4-year-old son, and the second involved the drive-by shooting of a semi-professional football player.

The court determined Jermaine D. Boyd, 36, was fairly tried and convicted in Richmond County Superior Court for the murder of Treymaine Berry, who a medical expert testified had probably been punched in the head more than a dozen times on Jan. 10, 2004. The boy died the next day. Mr. Boyd is serving life in prison.

The high court also found Sandy Washington, 24, was fairly tried and convicted in Richmond County Superior Court for the murder of 23-year-old Jeffrey Ellison on Jan. 5, 2006. Mr. Ellison, who played running back for the Palmetto Dragons, was shot to death while sitting inside a friend's Central Avenue home.

Mr. Washington and Vernon Ryans are both serving life sentences for murder. Jeremy Williams is serving 20 years for voluntary manslaughter for Mr. Ellison's death. Andre Madison pleaded guilty to property damage and received an eight-year probation sentence.

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday partially reversed a Richmond County Superior Court ruling that prohibited a software inventor from using the program he developed.

The state's highest court ruled that Judge Carl C. Brown Jr. should not have granted an injunction against Branden Coleman at the request of Retina Eye Center.

Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.