Tennessee governor orders stay of execution after doctor can’t find vein
Tony Carruthers’s lawyers say no evidence ties him to 1994 crimes he was convicted of and he is mentally incompetent
TL;DR
- Governor Bill Lee granted a one-year stay of execution to Tony Carruthers.
- The stay was issued after officials struggled to find a vein during the lethal injection attempt.
- Carruthers was convicted of the 1994 murders of three people in Memphis.
- His lawyers argue there is a lack of physical evidence and that he is mentally incompetent.
- Carruthers represented himself at trial due to issues with court-appointed attorneys.
- A last-minute appeal to the Tennessee supreme court and concerns about the physician's qualifications contributed to the stay.
- Protesters rallied in support of Carruthers, with petitions receiving over 100,000 signatures.
- Concerns exist regarding the state's lethal injection drug protocols and a history of issues with execution drugs.