Tennessee Executes Its First Inmate In 5 Years

Oscar Franklin Smith was executed for the 1989 murders of his wife, Judy Robirds, and her sons, Chad Burnett and Jason Burnett. 

Image Credit: Tennessee Department of Correction

The Center Square [By Kim Jarrett] –

Tennessee convicted murderer Oscar Franklin Smith was executed Thursday morning, the first execution by the state in five years.

Smith was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m., according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

The execution was carried out using the single drug pentobarbital. Gov. Bill Lee placed a moratorium on executions in 2022 so the state could review its procedures.

The Department of Corrections announced the new protocol in December. The Tennessee Supreme Court set Smith’s execution date in March.

Lee did not intervene in Smith’s execution. He issued a reprieve for Smith in 2022, just moments before Smith was scheduled to die, and then ordered the moratorium while the state studied its execution protocols.

At 75, Smith was Tennessee’s oldest death row inmate. He was convicted in the 1989 murder of his wife, Judy Robirds Smith, 35, and her sons, 16-year-old Chad Burnett and 13-year-old Jason Burnett. The murders happened in Nashville.

Judy Robirds’ brother and sister said in a statement provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction that the pain of losing them is something they continue to carry.

“Through our heartbreak, we are reminded of the devastating consequences of domestic violence,” said Mike Robirds and Terrie Osborne. “This tragedy is not only a personal loss, it is part of a much larger issue that affects countless families across our society. We hope that sharing our story helps others recognize the warning signs and dangers involved, especially for the children.”