'Botched' lethal injection earns Tennessee death row inmate reprieve
Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) delayed the execution of Tony Carruthers by one year after the inmate experienced a “botched” execution on Thursday.
TL;DR
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee delayed Tony Carruthers's execution by one year after a "botched" lethal injection.
- Executioners failed to insert an IV line, causing Carruthers pain and blood loss.
- Carruthers was convicted of a 1994 triple murder in Memphis, but advocates claim there is no physical evidence against him.
- His conviction relies primarily on the testimony of others, and he has maintained his innocence.
- Advocates cite Carruthers's schizoaffective disorder and his disruptive behavior during trial, including representing himself, as reasons for his conviction's unreliability.