Byron Black’s legal team is still trying to figure out what caused the pain he displayed during his execution.
Tennessee heat poses more risks for some medications
The weather scorching Middle Tennessee this summer can be dangerous for anyone — and certain medications can heighten the risk.
Tennessee executes Byron Black despite worries about his heart implant
The state of Tennessee executed Byron Black on Tuesday morning. The 69-year-old was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her daughters in 1988. The execution was carried out by lethal injection despite uncertainty about Black’s heart implant.
Medical ethics and a prisoner’s heart implant complicate next execution in Tennessee
Tennessee’s highest court says the state can execute Byron Black without deprogramming a heart implant. It’s a tension that has intensified because of ethical codes in medicine.
Nashville General Hospital won’t disable death row inmate’s implant, contradicting state’s account in court
Nashville General Hospital says it never agreed to deactivate a death row inmate’s device, raising a new question before the scheduled execution of Byron Black.
What to know about Tennessee’s scheduled execution of Byron Black
There are several unknowns about Byron Black’s scheduled execution — including about his developmental disability and the ongoing legal fight about his heart defibrillator implant.
TDOC pushback on execution court order amounts to ‘passive aggression,’ judge says
It appeared the intense debate was over when a judge ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to disable a death row inmate’s heart implant before his execution. But now, the department is arguing it can’t comply.
Court order: Tennessee prisoner’s heart implant must be deprogrammed before his execution
A judge sided with Byron Black, the man scheduled for Tennessee’s next execution, and ordered the state to disable his heart implant before he undergoes a lethal injection.
A heart implant could make Tennessee’s next execution painful and prolonged. Prison officials argue they don’t have to disable the device.
Tennessee’s next execution is scheduled for Aug. 5, and this time, there are even stronger fears about the death becoming torturous.
Smoking-focused addiction help would save lives, but it’s not easy to access in Tennessee
Appalachian states have had some of the highest overdose rates in the country over the past decade. But officials have been slow to adopt some harm reduction efforts that could save lives.
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