Oscar Smith: A Tennessee death row inmate is set to be executed after governor denies him clemency
2 years, 11 months ago

Oscar Smith: A Tennessee death row inmate is set to be executed after governor denies him clemency

CNN  

CNN — A man convicted of killing his estranged wife and her sons in 1989 is set to be executed Thursday after Tennessee Gov. The governor declined to intervene in Oscar Smith’s case Tuesday, setting the 72-year-old inmate up to be the first person executed in the state since the Covid-19 pandemic began. New cutting-edge DNA evidence excluding Mr. Smith as the contributor of DNA evidence on the murder weapon in this case proves his claim,” Smith’s attorney, Amy Harwell, told CNN on Tuesday night. The Governor’s denial of clemency under these circumstances is extremely disappointing.” Smith, the oldest person on Tennessee’s death row, was sentenced in 1990 for the murders of his estranged wife, Judith Smith, and her two sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, in Nashville. The pandemic delayed executions in many states, including Tennessee, though annual execution numbers have been generally decreasing since the early 2000’s, according to an analysis from the Death Penalty Information Center.

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History of this topic

A look at the status of US executions in 2025
2 weeks, 4 days ago

A look at the status of US executions in 2025

Associated Press  

Six men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and 12 other people are scheduled to be put to death in six states during the remainder of 2025. The other states with scheduled executions this year are Ohio, Tennessee and Texas, though Ohio’s governor has been routinely postponing the actions as their dates near. A …

South Carolina man executed by firing squad is first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years
Top News
3 weeks, 1 day ago

South Carolina man executed by firing squad is first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years

New Indian Express  

COLUMBIA: A South Carolina man who killed his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner in 15 years to die by that method, which he saw as preferable to the electric chair or lethal injection. Three volunteer prison employees used rifles to carry out the execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, who …

South Carolina executes Brad Sigmon by firing squad, first US execution of its kind in 15 years
3 weeks, 1 day ago

South Carolina executes Brad Sigmon by firing squad, first US execution of its kind in 15 years

India Today  

South Carolina carried out its first firing squad execution in 15 years on Friday, executing 67-year-old Brad Sigmon. Three volunteer prison employees fired rifles, and Sigmon was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. Sigmon was convicted of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 2001 using a baseball bat in their Greenville County home. Sigmon’s last statement and final meal Sigmon’s attorney …

A South Carolina man executed by firing squad is the first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years
Top News
3 weeks, 1 day ago

A South Carolina man executed by firing squad is the first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man who killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner in 15 years to die by that method, which he saw as preferable to the electric chair or lethal injection. Vivian Lovingood protests the scheduled execution of South Carolina inmate Brad Sigmon, Friday, March …

South Carolina man executed by firing squad, first in U.S. in 15 years
3 weeks, 2 days ago

South Carolina man executed by firing squad, first in U.S. in 15 years

LA Times  

Protesters opposed to the death penalty rally shortly before Brad Sigmon was executed in Columbia, S.C., on Friday. A South Carolina man who killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner in 15 years to die by that method, which he saw as preferable to the electric chair or lethal …

South Carolina man set to face a firing squad seeks postponement, questioning execution procedures
1 month ago

South Carolina man set to face a firing squad seeks postponement, questioning execution procedures

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man who is scheduled to die next week by firing squad is again asking that his execution be postponed and prison officials release more information about the state’s lethal injection drug and procedures. Sigmon’s attorney said autopsy results from Marion Bowman’s Jan. 31 execution released earlier this week showed he needed twice the dose …

South Carolina to carry out first U.S. execution of 2025
1 month, 4 weeks ago

South Carolina to carry out first U.S. execution of 2025

Raw Story  

A South Carolina man convicted of murder is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on Friday, the first execution in the United States this year. Bowman has filed numerous appeals seeking to put off his execution including a claim that the attorney who defended him at trial "held racist attitudes." Bowman's attorneys also argued that two witnesses …

South Carolina puts inmate Marion Bowman Jr. to death in state’s third execution since September
1 month, 4 weeks ago

South Carolina puts inmate Marion Bowman Jr. to death in state’s third execution since September

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina put a third inmate to death in four months Friday as it goes through a backlog of prisoners who exhausted their appeals while the state couldn’t find lethal injection drugs. In his final statement, Bowman said death row inmates might be labeled the worst of the worst, but they have all grown and changed from …

Condemned inmate worried South Carolina needed 2 lethal injections doses at last execution
2 months, 1 week ago

Condemned inmate worried South Carolina needed 2 lethal injections doses at last execution

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s latest execution should be halted so that lawyers for the condemned inmate can get more information about the drug used for lethal injection after the last prisoner put to death needed two massive doses of the sedative 11 minutes apart, the attorneys said in court papers. An anesthesiologist who reviewed the autopsy records of Richard …

Tennessee has a new execution method, 2.5 years after last scheduled execution abruptly halted
3 months ago

Tennessee has a new execution method, 2.5 years after last scheduled execution abruptly halted

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — More than 2 years after Tennessee abruptly halted the execution of inmate Oscar Smith — admitting that correction officials were not following their own execution protocols — the state has announced a new method that could allow it to resume executions halted since May 2022. The Tennessee Department of Correction announced in a brief statement Friday it …

Condemned South Carolina inmate chooses to die by lethal injection
5 months, 1 week ago

Condemned South Carolina inmate chooses to die by lethal injection

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

South Carolina executes a man for first time in 13 years despite new testimony hints at his innocence
6 months, 1 week ago

South Carolina executes a man for first time in 13 years despite new testimony hints at his innocence

Firstpost  

The 46-year-old inmate was killed by a lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m.. However, the execution came days after the key witness for the prosecution came forward to admit that he lied at the trial South Carolina executed death row inmate Freddie Owens, the first man to be put to death by the state in 13 years. …

US man convicted of killing store clerk faces death in first of 5 executions over next week
6 months, 1 week ago

US man convicted of killing store clerk faces death in first of 5 executions over next week

Firstpost  

Owens was sentenced to death in 1999 for the murder of Irene Graves, a mother of three, during an armed robbery of a convenience store in Greenville, South Carolina, on Halloween night in 1997 This undated booking photo obtained from the South Carolina Department of Corrections in Columbia, South Carolina, shows death row inmate Freddie Owens, 46. AFP A man …

South Carolina death row inmate asks governor for clemency
6 months, 1 week ago

South Carolina death row inmate asks governor for clemency

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. While awaiting sentencing after being found guilty in her …

A Georgia inmate used a gun to kill a prison kitchen worker before killing himself, officials say
9 months, 2 weeks ago

A Georgia inmate used a gun to kill a prison kitchen worker before killing himself, officials say

Associated Press  

GLENNVILLE, Ga. — An inmate used a gun to kill a kitchen worker at a Georgia prison early Sunday before fatally shooting himself, state officials said. The Georgia Department of Corrections in a statement said it’s investigating the deaths at Smith State Prison in rural southeast Georgia. The agency’s statement said inmate Jaydrekus Hart fatally shot a food service worker …

Oklahoma set to execute death row inmate Michael DeWayne Smith as he maintains his innocence for 2002 murders
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Oklahoma set to execute death row inmate Michael DeWayne Smith as he maintains his innocence for 2002 murders

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy An Oklahoma death row …

Man put to death for 1993 killing of ex-girlfriend, Georgia’s first execution in years
1 year ago

Man put to death for 1993 killing of ex-girlfriend, Georgia’s first execution in years

Associated Press  

JACKSON, Ga. — A Georgia man convicted of the killing of his former girlfriend three decades ago was put to death Wednesday evening in the state’s first execution in more than four years. Pye’s lawyers filed late appeals urging the U.S. Supreme Court to step in, but the justices unanimously rejected to stop the execution. Pye’s lawyers had argued in …

Alabama carries out first known execution with nitrogen gas in the US. Here’s what we know
1 year, 2 months ago

Alabama carries out first known execution with nitrogen gas in the US. Here’s what we know

CNN  

CNN — Alabama inmate Kenneth Smith was put to death Thursday night by nitrogen hypoxia, marking the nation’s first known execution using that method. Here’s what we know about the historic execution: In Alabama, 43 other inmates have requested new execution method After widespread discussion and speculation about how Smith’s execution would unfold, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told reporters …

Alabama puts to death Kenneth Smith in first known execution using nitrogen gas
1 year, 2 months ago

Alabama puts to death Kenneth Smith in first known execution using nitrogen gas

CNN  

Atmore, Alabama CNN — Alabama on Thursday night executed Kenneth Smith, the first death row inmate known to die by nitrogen gas, marking the emergence of a wholly new method of execution in the United States that experts have said could lead to excessive pain or even torture. In a joint report, witnesses from the media said Smith made a …

Alabama court says state can make second attempt to execute inmate whose lethal injection failed
1 year, 2 months ago

Alabama court says state can make second attempt to execute inmate whose lethal injection failed

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday rejected the appeal of a death row inmate who is scheduled to be the first person put to death with nitrogen gas and had argued that he shouldn’t face execution after a previous attempt at a lethal injection failed. Justices without dissent rejected arguments that a second attempt to execute Kenneth …

Another inmate dies in Atlanta following incarceration at a jail under federal investigation
1 year, 7 months ago

Another inmate dies in Atlanta following incarceration at a jail under federal investigation

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A Georgia inmate who was found unresponsive in a medical unit cell at a jail currently under federal investigation later died at an area hospital, authorities said Saturday. Medical personnel resuscitated Christopher Smith, 34, after a detention officer at the Fulton County Jail found him Thursday. The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation of the jail, citing …

Attorneys: ‘Botched’ execution caused pain and torture
2 years, 4 months ago

Attorneys: ‘Botched’ execution caused pain and torture

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama prison staff strapped an inmate to a death chamber gurney, despite a court order in place at the time blocking the execution from going forward, and later subjected him to numerous needle jabs, including in the neck and collarbone region while an official held his head, attorneys wrote in a court filing. Attorneys for Kenneth Eugene …

After difficulties with injection, Alabama cancels execution greenlighted by Supreme Court
2 years, 4 months ago

After difficulties with injection, Alabama cancels execution greenlighted by Supreme Court

LA Times  

Kenneth Eugene Smith, 57, was sentenced to death in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher’s wife and was to have been executed Thursday. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said prison staff tried for about an hour to get the two required intravenous lines connected to Kenneth Eugene Smith, 57. The postponement came after Smith’s final appeals, which …

Alabama execution set in murder-for-hire of preacher's wife
2 years, 4 months ago

Alabama execution set in murder-for-hire of preacher's wife

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Alabama is preparing to execute …

Judge dismisses lawsuit over upcoming lethal injection
2 years, 5 months ago

Judge dismisses lawsuit over upcoming lethal injection

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala — A federal judge dismissed an inmate’s claim seeking to block his upcoming execution in Alabama because of reported problems at a recent lethal injection. But U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr. also warned Alabama’s prison commissioner to strictly follow established protocol when officials attempt to put Smith to death next month. Smith’s attorneys pointed to a …

Alabama Supreme Court sets execution date for inmate
2 years, 9 months ago

Alabama Supreme Court sets execution date for inmate

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Supreme Court has set an execution date of July 28 for a man convicted of killing his one-time girlfriend after breaking into her home in Jefferson County almost three decades ago, according to a court order made public Monday. Courts have since rejected appeals by James including claims that his lawyers were ineffective, and the …

Tennessee execution pause through 2022 could last longer
2 years, 9 months ago

Tennessee execution pause through 2022 could last longer

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After Tennessee Gov. Many of the problems surfaced as part of challenges of Tennessee’s execution process by two death row inmates in federal court. Those cases are on hold until the investigation ordered by Lee concludes — but in the meantime, the state attorney general’s office acknowledged in a May 6 court filing that there may be …

Tennessee Pauses Executions, Will Review Lethal Injections
2 years, 10 months ago

Tennessee Pauses Executions, Will Review Lethal Injections

Huff Post  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee paused executions in Tennessee for the rest of the year on Monday to enable a review of its lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die. He’ll also review the clarity of the lethal injection process manual …

Tennessee pauses executions till year’s end to review lethal injection procedures
2 years, 10 months ago

Tennessee pauses executions till year’s end to review lethal injection procedures

LA Times  

Tennessee is pausing executions to enable an independent review of its lethal injection procedures after a testing oversight forced the state to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die this month. “However, the death penalty is an extremely serious matter, and I expect the Tennessee Department of Correction to leave no question that …

Attorneys want moratorium, probe after execution halted
2 years, 11 months ago

Attorneys want moratorium, probe after execution halted

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After an undisclosed “oversight” forced Tennessee to call off the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die last week, Smith’s attorneys on Thursday asked for a moratorium on executions and a review of the state’s execution protocols. Bill Lee issued a brief statement on April 21 at 5:42 p.m. saying that “due to …

Tennessee gov: No new details yet why he canceled execution
2 years, 11 months ago

Tennessee gov: No new details yet why he canceled execution

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. The night before, the Republican governor had issued a statement saying there had been an “oversight in preparation for lethal injection” as he granted a temporary reprieve to 72-year-old inmate Oscar Smith. Lewis said Smith was “stunned” by the news and had been “fully preparing to die in the next hour.” Smith’s reprieve is in …

Tenn governor calls off execution, citing oversight in plan
2 years, 11 months ago

Tenn governor calls off execution, citing oversight in plan

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s governor on Thursday called off what would have been the state’s first execution since the pandemic began, granting a temporary reprieve to the oldest inmate on death row for what was called an “oversight” in preparations for the lethal injection. “Due to an oversight in preparation for lethal injection, the scheduled execution of Oscar Smith will …

Tennessee governor calls off Oscar Smith execution, citing ‘oversight in preparation for lethal injection’
2 years, 11 months ago

Tennessee governor calls off Oscar Smith execution, citing ‘oversight in preparation for lethal injection’

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Due to an oversight in preparation for lethal …

Tennessee plans 1st COVID-19-era execution, more scheduled
2 years, 11 months ago

Tennessee plans 1st COVID-19-era execution, more scheduled

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee is set to execute its first inmate Thursday since the start of the pandemic, planning a lethal injection procedure that has become less common in the state than the electric chair in recent years. The execution using the state’s preferred method puts Tennessee on a divergent path from South Carolina, which has been preparing for a …

Tennessee governor declines to intervene as execution looms
2 years, 11 months ago

Tennessee governor declines to intervene as execution looms

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s governor said Tuesday that he will not intervene in the scheduled execution later this week of an inmate convicted of fatally stabbing and shooting his estranged wife and her sons decades ago. “After thorough consideration of Oscar Smith’s request for clemency and an extensive review of the case, the State of Tennessee’s sentence will stand, and …

State high court won’t hear inmate appeal as execution looms
2 years, 11 months ago

State high court won’t hear inmate appeal as execution looms

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeal of an inmate facing execution this week who sought to have his case reopened after an unknown person’s DNA was found on one of the murder weapons. The state Court of Criminal Appeals ruled last week that Smith didn’t provide evidence that he is innocent of …

First death row inmate to face execution in South Carolina in a decade chooses to die by firing squad
2 years, 11 months ago

First death row inmate to face execution in South Carolina in a decade chooses to die by firing squad

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

South Carolina Inmate Picks Firing Squad Over Electric Chair
2 years, 11 months ago

South Carolina Inmate Picks Firing Squad Over Electric Chair

Huff Post  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina prisoner scheduled to be the first man executed in the state in more than a decade has decided to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair later this month, according to court documents filed Friday. South Carolina-Execution via Associated Press Moore’s attorneys have asked the state Supreme Court to delay his …

South Carolina death row inmate picks firing squad over electric chair for execution
2 years, 11 months ago

South Carolina death row inmate picks firing squad over electric chair for execution

LA Times  

Richard Moore, a South Carolina inmate set to be executed later this month, has chosen to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair. A South Carolina prisoner scheduled to be the first man executed in the state in more than a decade has decided to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair later this …

Tennessee inmate seeks execution halt over DNA evidence
2 years, 11 months ago

Tennessee inmate seeks execution halt over DNA evidence

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee death row inmate asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to vacate his execution date so that an appeals court could review new evidence in his case. Earlier this month, Smith asked the Davidson County Criminal Court to reopen his case after a new type of DNA analysis found the DNA of an unknown person …

Inmate asks judges to halt firing squad or electrocution
2 years, 11 months ago

Inmate asks judges to halt firing squad or electrocution

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina inmate set to die either by a firing squad or in the electric chair later this month is asking the state Supreme Court to halt his execution until judges can determine if either method is cruel and unusual punishment. Moore’s lawyers said judges need to review South Carolina’s new firing squad rules to see …

Tennessee death row inmate resentenced after racism claim
3 years, 4 months ago

Tennessee death row inmate resentenced after racism claim

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A judge on Tuesday resentenced a Tennessee death row inmate to life in prison for the second time in two years, after finding the man’s trial was marred by racism during jury selection. The 2019 resentencing came after Abdur’Rahman, who is Black, petitioned to reopen his case, presenting evidence that prosecutors at his trial treated Black potential …

Alabama man put to death for 1991 killing of woman
3 years, 5 months ago

Alabama man put to death for 1991 killing of woman

Associated Press  

ATMORE, Ala. — An Alabama man who avoided execution in February was put to death Thursday for the 1991 killing of a woman who was abducted during a robbery and then shot in a cemetery. The court had halted an earlier execution date for Smith in February when he was already in a holding cell near the death chamber and …

Willie B. Smith III: Alabama death row inmate is executed nearly 30 years after murder conviction
3 years, 5 months ago

Willie B. Smith III: Alabama death row inmate is executed nearly 30 years after murder conviction

CNN  

CNN — Alabama death row inmate Willie B. Smith III was executed Thursday night, the state attorney general’s office announced, after the US Supreme Court declined to hear an 11th-hour appeal. “The family of Sharma Johnson has had to wait 29 years, 11 months, and 25 days to see the sentence of Sharma’s murderer be carried out,” state Attorney General …

Oklahoma inmate seeks clemency ahead of execution: ‘The state created a broken man’
3 years, 5 months ago

Oklahoma inmate seeks clemency ahead of execution: ‘The state created a broken man’

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ahead of a planned clemency hearing on Tuesday, …

South Carolina inmate trying to halt June 18 execution
3 years, 9 months ago

South Carolina inmate trying to halt June 18 execution

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The inmate scheduled to be the first put to death under South Carolina’s recently revamped capital punishment law has filed a last-minute request seeking to halt his execution in the electric chair, arguing that the state hasn’t exhausted all methods to procure lethal injection drugs. Executing Sigmon by electrocution, his attorneys wrote, subjects him “to a substantial …

South Carolina House adds firing squad to execution methods
3 years, 10 months ago

South Carolina House adds firing squad to execution methods

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina House voted Wednesday to add a firing squad to the state’s execution methods amid a lack of lethal-injection drugs — a measure meant to jump-start executions in a state that once had one of the busiest death chambers in the nation. “If you push the green button at the end of the day and …

Tennessee inmate’s execution put on hold due to COVID-19
4 years, 3 months ago

Tennessee inmate’s execution put on hold due to COVID-19

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday indefinitely postponed the execution of death row inmate Byron Black. In a brief order issued on Thursday, the court wrote that Black’s execution is stayed pending a further order by the court “because of the multiple issues caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.” Black was convicted by a Nashville court of …

Tennessee governor gives death row inmate temporary reprieve
4 years, 4 months ago

Tennessee governor gives death row inmate temporary reprieve

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Lee granted one in July to Harold Nichols, and the Tennessee Supreme Court issued two earlier reprieves to Oscar Smith and Byron Black. Payne’s attorneys have also said he should not be executed because he is intellectually disabled, and the U.S. Supreme Court has said that executing those with intellectual disabilities violates the U.S. Constitution. …

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