Entries tagged with “Gary Sutton”
Upcoming Executions
,Jul 13, 2026
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Says Lethal Injection Executions Will Proceed as Scheduled, Despite Recent Botch and Mounting Concerns
On July 7, 2026, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee told members of the media that the state’s scheduled executions will proceed without any changes to the lethal injection protocol, despite the state’s failed attempt to execute Tony Carruthers in May. Gov. Lee stated that the execution team followed the proper protocol during the attempted execution and that the problem was with locating a suitable vein for an IV line, rather than with the protocol itself. “I think, as we have observed, everything…
Botched Executions
,Jul 07, 2026
Tennessee Republican State Senators Call on Governor Lee to Review the “Incompetent Administration” Leading to the Botched Execution of Tony Carruthers
In a letter dated June 25, 2026, a group of nine Tennessee Republican senators called on Governor Bill Lee to commission an independent review of the failed execution of Tony Carruthers, to order the correction of “every deficiency” found in this review, and to make information about the execution team publicly available “so that the Department [of Corrections’] readiness can be independently verified.” While the senators maintain their support for the administration of the death penalty, they…
Botched Executions
,May 26, 2026
Tennessee’s Botched Execution of Tony Carruthers Raises Questions About Medical Qualifications Among Concerns with Innocence and Due Process
Tennessee’s attempt to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026, failed after execution team members could not establish an intravenous line after more than an hour of attempts, prompting Governor Bill Lee to grant a one-year reprieve. In a written statement, the Tennessee Department of Corrections said medical personnel had quickly established a primary IV line but were unable to establish a backup line as required by the state’s execution protocol. Efforts to insert a central line also failed…
Executions
Upcoming Executions
,Mar 05, 2022
Tennessee Sets Three Execution Dates for Most-in-Nation 5 Pending Executions in 2022
The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued death warrants setting execution dates for three prisoners, bringing to five — the nation’s‑high — the number of executions pending in the state in 2022. On February 22, 2022, the court set execution dates of August 18 for Byron Black, October 6 for Gary Sutton, and December 8 for Donald Middlebrooks. The court had previously set execution dates of April 21 for Oscar Smith and June 9 for Harold Nichols. Black has presented evidence that he is ineligible…