NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s governor announced Thursday that he was calling off what was to have been the state’s first execution since the start of the pandemic, granting a temporary reprieve to the inmate after what he called an unspecified “oversight” in preparations for the lethal injection.Republican Gov. Bill Lee didn’t elaborate on what the issue was that put on hold the planned execution of 72-year-old inmate Oscar Smith. Smith, the oldest inmate on death row, had been scheduled to receive a three-drug injection a short time later Thursday evening at a Nashville prison.“Due to an oversight in preparation for lethal injection, the scheduled execution of Oscar Smith will not move forward tonight. I am granting a temporary reprieve while we address Tennessee Department of Correction protocol,” Lee said in a statement. “Further details will be released when they are available.”
Load More
Load More