It’s unlikely Gov. Bill Lee will call a death penalty moratorium before Tennessee’s next execution. Calls for a temporary suspension, investigation and corrective action plan have been ramping up since May.
GOP lawmakers seek investigation into Tennessee’s failed execution
Tennessee Republican senators are calling on the state to launch a formal investigation into the botched execution attempt of Tony Carruthers in May. Several legal battles are also challenging Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol.
Tennessee court denies independent exam after Tony Carruthers’ failed execution
After the state of Tennessee failed in its attempt to execute Tony Carruthers last month, defense attorneys were in a mad dash to preserve evidence. Tennessee Department of Correction staff and medical contractors had tried to establish an IV into Carruthers’ arms — and, when that failed, a doctor tried twice to cut into his […]
Tennessee fails to execute Tony Carruthers after IV difficulties. State won’t try again for a year
Tennessee officials have called off the lethal injection of Tony Carruthers, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering three people in 1994, after his executioners tried and failed for over an hour to establish an intravenous line. Gov. Bill Lee says the state will not try again for at least a year.
Ahead of Tennessee execution, advocates push for DNA testing and commutation
Tennessee is scheduled to execute Tony Carruthers, but advocates want untested DNA samples examined first.
Judge orders release of Tennessee execution records
A court ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to release a cache of execution records, but it’s unclear whether the agency will have to comply.
Tennessee schedules next lethal injection as questions linger about the last one
The next man scheduled for execution in Tennessee — Harold Wayne Nichols — has officially declined to choose a method of execution. He had two options: lethal injection or the electric chair.
Attorney says electrocardiogram at Tennessee execution was active after inmate was pronounced dead
An attorney for a recently executed Tennessee inmate says an electrocardiogram showed “sustained cardiac activity” nearly two minutes after Byron Black was pronounced dead. Attorneys for the state say requiring members of the execution team to testify risks exposing their identities, even if their faces are hidden and their voices disguised.
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