For the first time since Tennessee adopted a new lethal injection protocol, a post-execution autopsy has been released. It shows that Byron Black developed pulmonary edema — a form of lung damage.
NashVillager Podcast: Hurdles to reducing harm
Why do people tend to balk at life-saving advances? Plus, the local news for September 9, 2025.
Meharry Medical College and Nashville General Hospital sign two-year service contract
Meharry Medical College and Nashville General Hospital signed a new operating agreement — defining the relationship between the city’s oldest medical school and the city-owned teaching hospital for the next two years.
Looking forward to cooler temperatures? So are dust mites.
Ragweed pollen tends to catch criticism, but there’s another risky substance floating around: dust mites.
WPLN discusses: Unanswered medical questions after execution of Byron Black
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.
Attorney says heart device did not shock executed TN man who said he was ‘hurting so bad’
A Tennessee man who said he was “hurting so bad” during his lethal injection this week was not shocked by his implanted defibrillator.
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.
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