A coalition of Nashville pastors and priests stood shoulder to shoulder with abolition activists on Thursday, publicly blasting Gov. Bill Lee for pressing ahead with Tennessee’s scheduled executions. Speakers pointed to last month’s halted attempt to execute Tony Carruthers and the heavily criticized 2025 killing of Byron Black as proof the state’s process needs urgent scrutiny. The group is demanding an immediate investigation and a halt to executions until the Department of Correction can show its protocols are safe.
Clergy to hold news conference
Organizers scheduled the news conference for 12:30 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church in Green Hills and coordinated it through Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, according to WSMV. On its website, the group describes its mission as abolishing the death penalty while supporting victims and working to prevent violence.
What happened in May
In late May, officials called off the planned execution of Tony Carruthers after medical staff spent more than an hour trying and failing to establish a mandatory backup intravenous line; Gov. Bill Lee then granted Carruthers a one-year reprieve, the Associated Press reported. Attorneys who witnessed the failed attempt, along with advocacy groups, say the episode exposed serious training and oversight failures that must be addressed before Tennessee carries out any further executions.
Past execution raised alarm
Advocates also highlighted the August 2025 execution of Byron Black, during which media witnesses reported he appeared to cry out and show signs of distress as the lethal drug flowed, according to The Washington Post. That execution has become a touchstone for critics who argue Tennessee’s single-drug protocol carries a heightened risk of a torturous death.
Executions still scheduled this year
Despite those concerns, several executions remain on the calendar. Anthony “Darrell” Hines is set for August 13, Christa Gail Pike for September 30 and Gary Wayne Sutton for December 3, according to the Death Penalty Information Center and state court records. Lawyers and activists argue that courts should resolve outstanding protocol challenges and evidence-testing requests before the state moves toward any of those dates.
Faith leaders' demand
“What happened to Tony Carruthers on May 21 is unconscionable and must be addressed before any more executions move forward,” a Disciples of Christ pastor said in remarks reported by WSMV. Ministers at the gathering said their objections are rooted both in moral concerns and in the practical human costs the current process imposes on victims’ families and corrections staff.
Legal and political fallout
Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and multiple legal teams have pressed Gov. Lee to order an independent review, allow additional testing in close cases and, in some instances, issue a statewide moratorium while litigation over the 2025 protocol proceeds, the group’s site and recent court filings show. Attorneys who observed the Carruthers attempt have also called for clearer medical qualifications for the personnel charged with carrying out executions.
Governor's response
Gov. Lee has declined to order a broad halt, saying state officials followed the established protocol and that those procedures will remain in place as legal challenges play out. Local reporting captured the governor saying the protocol was “carried out appropriately” and that the May incident would not prompt an immediate systemwide pause, per Action News 5.
What to watch
The Thursday news conference will test whether religious pressure and ongoing litigation can shift the state’s approach before August’s next scheduled execution date. For now, Tennesseans will be watching to see whether the Department of Correction releases a detailed after-action review or takes steps to reassure the public that future procedures will not repeat recent failures.
