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Tennessee Conservative News [By David Seal] –
Faith leaders are calling a media conference to discuss failed protocols in the attempted execution of death row inmate Tony Carruthers while eight Tennessee state senators are calling for a full review of executions by the Tennessee Department of Corrections.
In a statement released by the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty, faith leaders are planning a media conference for July 16, 2026, at 12:30 PM Central Time to “condemn Governor Bill Lee’s refusal to pause executions and investigate how the TDOC protocols failed during the torturous, botched execution of Tony Carruthers on May 21st.”
Their full statement is as follows:
“Tennessee Faith Leaders to Call Out Gov. Lee for his “Profound Moral Failure”
They will Condemn his Refusal to Pause Executions and Acknowledge Failures of TDOC
Tennessee faith leaders will gather for a news conference in Nashville on Thursday, July 16, to condemn Gov. Lee’s refusal to pause executions and investigate how the TDOC protocols failed during the torturous, botched execution of Tony Carruthers on May 21st.
“What happened to Tony Carruthers on May 21 is unconscionable and must be addressed before any more executions move forward,” said Pastor Kelli X, a Disciples of Christ Pastor in Nashville. “As a faith leader and a Tennessean, I am disappointed in the governor’s response to what is clearly a crisis. We deserve better.”
“The botched near execution was traumatic not only for Mr. Carruthers, but also for the TDOC staff and for the victims’ families,” said, Rev. Timothy Holton, a pastor in the UMC Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference. “For the governor to act as if what happened was business as usual dismisses the harm done to everyone involved.”
Details of the media conference announced by the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty are as follows.
WHAT: Faith Leaders News Conference
WHEN: Thursday, July 16, at 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Second Presbyterian Church, 3511 Belmont Blvd. in Nashville.
LIVESTREAM: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EvoCD3e2T/
Contact: Stacy Rector at stacy@tennesseedeathpenalty.org, 731-445-4803
Additional information can be found at their website linked here.
Also, on the topic of executions, multiple state senators led by Senator Tom Hatcher (R-Blount, Monroe, Polk, and Part of Bradley Counties) have sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee expressing concerns about execution procedures, chemicals, and what they called “incompetent administration” of execution procedures. All nine senators state their support of the death penalty and assert that failed execution procedures hand death penalty opponents their most effective argument.
The Senate letter calls on the governor to review procedures and correct deficiencies in the administration of executions before the state attempts another execution.
A copy of the letter from the State Senators to Governor Bill Lee is pictured below.
For background information on Tennessee death penalty policies, articles are linked below.
About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
Ditch the stupid protocol. Find one vein, load it with fentanyl, done.
Firing squad or gallows work great too.