{"id":2605624,"date":"2026-05-21T17:25:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/botched-lethal-injection-earns-tennessee-death-row-inmate-reprieve\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T17:27:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:27:07","slug":"botched-lethal-injection-earns-tennessee-death-row-inmate-reprieve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/botched-lethal-injection-earns-tennessee-death-row-inmate-reprieve\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Botched&#8217; lethal injection earns Tennessee death row inmate reprieve"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbotched-lethal-injection-earns-tennessee-death-row-inmate-reprieve%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605624&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Gov. bill Lee (R-TN) postponed the execution of Tony Carruthers by one year after a \u201cbotched\u201d lethal injection attempt.Execution staff were unable to locate a vein to insert a required backup IV line under Tennessee\u2019s protocol, and Carruthers reportedly suffered pain and \u201clots of blood\u201d as the intravenous lines were removed late in the planned procedure.<\/p>\n<p>Carruthers, convicted in 1994 of triple murder in Memphis, was scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. CT but the attempt proceeded wiht the IV issue, and lee initially did not seek a halt on May 19. His case has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mattel-apologizes-after-wicked-movie-tie-in-toy-directs-children-to-porn-site\/\" title=\"Mattel Apologizes After \u2018Wicked\u2019 Movie Tie-In Toy Directs Children to Porn Site\">drawn heightened scrutiny<\/a>,including claims from the ACLU of Tennessee that investigators recovered no physical evidence linking him to the crimes and that fingerprints from the victims\u2019 kidnapping home do not match him. His conviction is largely based on testimony from others who said he confessed or discussed details of the murders.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors say the victims were kidnapped and taken to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-says-39-killed-in-russian-rocket-strike-on-railway-station\/\" title=\"Ukraine Says 39 Killed in Russian Rocket Strike on Railway Station\">freshly dug grave<\/a>,begged for their lives,and were shot by Carruthers and an accomplice,james Montgomery,as part of a bid to control the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gunman-kills-two-canadian-tourists-in-mexican-caribbean-resort-say-authorities\/\" title=\"Gunman Kills Two Canadian Tourists in Mexican Caribbean Resort, Say Authorities\">local drug trade<\/a>.Advocates also argue that Carruthers\u2019s behavior toward his attorneys-attributed to schizoaffective disorder-helped undermine his defense, including periods where he was forced to represent himself, and they cite concerns about the reliability of testimony used against him.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) delayed the execution of Tony Carruthers by one year after the inmate experienced a \u201cbotched\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/death-penalty\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1427\">execution<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Executioners failed to find a vein to insert the mandatory backup IV line per <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tennessee\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"600\">Tennessee<\/a>\u2018s lethal injection protocol. Carruthers had been convicted of a triple murder in Memphis in 1994, though advocates had pushed for clemency in the weeks leading up to his execution date.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4578680\/colorado-democrats-censure-jared-polis-tina-peters-commutation\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Colorado Democrats censure Jared Polis over Tina Peters commutation<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4578171\/us-removes-sanctions-un-expert-francesca-albanese-israel\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>US removes sanctions on UN official Francesca Albanese over Israel criticism<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4577111\/ninth-circuit-gun-owner-fight-against-san-diego-county\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ninth Circuit weighs gun owner\u2019s fight against California county for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/colorado-democrats-condemn-polis-over-tina-peters-commutation\/\" title=\"Colorado Democrats condemn Polis over Tina Peters commutation\">denying gun permit<\/a> over motorcycle club membership<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The convict was supposed to be executed at 10 a.m. CT, with the intravenous lines for his execution eventually being removed at 11:52 a.m. The botched insertion caused Carruthers to be in pain as he lost \u201clots of blood,\u201d one of his public defenders, Amy Harwell, said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inmate\u2019s case had <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >experienced increased public scrutiny<\/a>, as the state had no physical evidence supporting Carruthers\u2019s conviction. The convict has insisted he is innocent since his trial.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This Tennessee Department of Correction photo shows inmate Tony Carruthers. (Tennessee Department of Correction via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee initially refused to halt the execution on May 19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe know that there is no physical evidence that matches Tony,\u201d said Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, interim legal director of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/aclu\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"913\">American Civil Liberties Union<\/a> of Tennessee. \u201cInvestigators recovered fingerprints from the home where the victims were kidnapped. \u2026 None of those fingerprints match Tony.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carruthers\u2019s conviction in the triple homicide of a Memphis drug dealer, the victim\u2019s mother, and the dealer\u2019s teenage friend, is based primarily on the testimony of others who said they have heard him confess or discuss details of the crimes with them. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The three victims were kidnapped and brought to a freshly dug grave in a cemetery, where they begged for their lives before being shot by Carruthers and an accomplice, James Montgomery, in an attempt to gain control of the drug trade in the neighborhood, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4577878\/supreme-court-decision-death-row-iq-spares-prisoners-life\/\">SUPREME COURT DECISION ON DEATH ROW IQ CASE WILL SPARE PRISONER\u2019S LIFE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bodies were covered with plywood and dirt, with a casket being lowered on the hidden bodies shortly after as part of the scheduled funeral for that grave. Police only became aware of the murders after Montgomery\u2019s brother led law enforcement to the gravesite.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his trial, Carruthers repeatedly threatened his public defenders and went through a roster of lawyers, eventually being forced by the judge to represent himself. Advocates for the inmate blame his behavior toward his attorneys on a schizoaffective disorder, arguing that Carruthers\u2019s lack of representation and uncertainty over the reliability of a fellow prisoner\u2019s testimony are reasons to stay his execution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gov. Bill Lee delayed Tony Carruthers\u2019s execution after a botched IV<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3892,"featured_media":2605625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tony-carruthers-bill-lee-collage-e1779397920421.jpg?1779381207&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[72882,80087,80088],"class_list":["post-2605624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-death-penalty-2","tag-legal-appeals","tag-lethal-injection"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/tony-carruthers-bill-lee-collage-e1779397920421.jpg?1779381207&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3892"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605624"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605628,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605624\/revisions\/2605628"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}