The Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) announced on Friday that the Volunteer State will resume executions by lethal injection more than two years after Governor Bill Lee announced a pause and reevaluation on the state’s method of lethal injection.
A press release by TDOC announced the state government will resume executions using the drug pentobarbital under a revised lethal injection protocol, with Commissioner Frank Strata stating, “I am confident the lethal injection process can proceed in compliance with departmental policy and state laws.”
Strada started revising the protocol after being appointed by Lee in 2023, the press release explained, adding that the new policies were “developed in consultation with the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office to ensure lawful and effective procedures are followed in carrying out death sentences.”
The Department of Justice noted in 2020 that pentobarbital is considered a humane method of execution, though defense attorneys have argued some killed using the drug experienced pain.
Lee announced a pause to lethal injections in Tennessee in May 2022, when Lee confirmed he would grant a temporary reprieve to Oscar Franklin Smith, who was scheduled to be killed in April of that year.
“I review each death penalty case and believe it is an appropriate punishment for heinous crimes,” said Lee in May 2022. “However, the death penalty is an extremely serious matter, and I expect the Tennessee Department of Correction to leave no question that procedures are correctly followed.”
Lee’s decision resulted in a delay of more than two years for Smith’s scheduled execution. Smith was sentenced to death in 1990 for killing his estranged wife, Judy Smith, and her sons, Chad Burnett and Jason Burnett. The killer reportedly stabbed one of the children and shot the other, with law enforcement recovering Smith’s fingerprints on both murder weapons, which were found at the scene of the crime.
Execution dates are set by the Tennessee Supreme Court, which has yet to announce new executions following the TDOC announcement. Smith’s execution was the last scheduled by the state court.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
