Governor Lee has granted a one year reprieve from execution for Tony Carruthers after the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) was unable to access a vein to carry out his scheduled execution today.

TADP has been sounding the alarm for years about the serious problems with the lethal injection protocol, including the lack of transparency around the process. Just this spring, we advocated for legislation to address this lack of transparency.

Today’s horrific display illustrates our point and demands accountability from the TDOC and the State.

Though we are profoundly grateful for the reprieve, there is no excuse for what happened to Tony Carruthers and to all those who were forced to be a part of this torturous spectacle.

TADP will update you more as we have more info.