Tennessee is scheduled to execute Byron Black in August. His attorneys argue his death should be delayed and his sentence reconsidered, citing his intellectual disability, progressive dementia and brain damage.
Man formerly on death row can’t serve 2 life terms at the same time, Tennessee Supreme Court rules
The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a Memphis judge did not have the authority to give a man formerly on death row concurrent sentences of life in prison.
Tennessee scheduled to execute at least two more death row inmates this year
Tennessee has resumed executions after years of COVID-19 delays and administrative pauses, and three more are scheduled this year.
After moratorium, Tennessee executes Oscar Franklin Smith
Tennessee put a hold on executions in 2022 due to concerns about its lethal injection protocol. This morning, the state resumed executions, using lethal injection to put to death Oscar Franklin Smith.
Tennessee executes Oscar Smith, ending pause on lethal injections
The state of Tennessee executed Oscar Franklin Smith Thursday morning. It was the first lethal injection since 2019, and comes on the heels of a third-party investigation into the state’s protocol that found failures in testing the drugs used during executions.
The long-term impact of violent loss: Reflecting on the crimes and execution of Oscar Smith
Casey Smith was just under 3 years old when he lost his mom Judith Robirds Smith and two half brothers, Chad and Jason Burnett. His father, Oscar Franklin Smith, is scheduled to be executed Thursday morning for the 1989 murders. It would be Tennessee’s first execution by lethal injection since 2019.
Gov. Lee denies reprieve, ensuring executions by lethal injection amid legal challenge
Tennessee will execute Oscar Franklin Smith this week while a lawsuit challenging the state’s new lethal injection protocol makes its way through the court system.
Timeline: Tennessee is planning its first lethal injection in years. How did the state get here?
On Thursday, Tennessee plans to carry out its first execution since 2019 by means of lethal injection. It’s the fourth scheduled execution date since 2020 for Oscar Smith, who was convicted of killing his estranged wife Judith Smith and her two sons Jason Burnett and Chad Burnett in 1989.
A look at the status of US executions in 2025
Fifteen men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and 12 other people are scheduled to be put to death in eight states during the remainder of 2025. Glen Rogers is set to die by lethal injection in Florida on Thursday, followed by scheduled executions in Texas and Indiana on May 20 and Tennessee on May 22.
Families of murder victims ask governor to hold off on Tennessee’s executions
Tennessee is scheduled to resume executions this month, and some victims’ rights advocates are arguing there are better ways to spend state money — and asking Gov. Bill Lee for a reprieve.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM