Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signaled that he will not step in to prevent the execution of Byron Black, despite multiple petitions and a plea from Black's son. As reported by FOX 17, Black's execution is scheduled for today at 10 a.m., after being found guilty of the 1988 murders of his girlfriend Angela Clay and her two daughters, Latoya and Lakeisha. The U.S. Supreme Court has also denied applications for a stay of execution and petitions for certiorari, as mentioned by WKRN.
Advocacy groups have been vocal about their opposition to the execution, citing concerns over Black's mental health and the unprecedented situation of executing a man with a working implanted defibrillator. In a statement obtained by NPR, experts indicated this could be the first instance of an execution involving a death row inmate with such a device. Black's legal team has raised concerns over potential complications during lethal injection due to the defibrillator. However, a judge ruled that the execution should proceed without deactivating the heart implant, as noted by WKRN.
Before the scheduled execution, advocates including Black's son, Samson Childs, delivered petitions with more than 5,000 signatures to Governor Lee, urging him to commute Black’s sentence to life without parole. The petitions were gathered by the organization Death Penalty Action. Advocates also expressed concern for the prison workers who they believe would suffer trauma from participating in the execution, particularly of an inmate they know well and who suffers from dementia and brain damage. These concerns were voiced during the gathering at the Tennessee Capitol, as reported by WKRN.
Despite the appeals and a letter from other death row inmates inviting Governor Lee to come and pray with them, Lee's administration says there are no plans to intervene. Citing the "heinous" nature of the crimes, Lee stated the courts have "universally determined that it is lawful to carry out the jury's sentence of execution." This was conveyed in a report by NPR, which also highlighted the lack of precedent for the situation involving Black's defibrillator.
