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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says no changes to capital punishment after botched execution

July 9, 2026 · 1 min read

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee told reporters in Knoxville on Tuesday that there will be no changes to the protocol for capital punishment in the state following the botched execution attempt of death row inmate Tony Carruthers on May 21.

In May, the Republican governor suspended Carruthers’ execution for one year after the medical team failed to find a vein when trying to set up the backup IV line of lethal drugs. They tried to set up the IV line for more than an hour.

“The Department of Corrections did exactly what they were supposed to,” Lee told reporters . “I decided to suspend the execution. I have the authority to do that. I’m the only one who can.”

“Given the circumstances of not being able to find a vein, I made that decision,” the governor added. “But the protocol itself and the process for the death penalty in this state — which is the law of Tennessee that the people have decided — but the protocol itself still stands, as it should.”

After the botched execution, eight Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to the governor, which urged him to review the death penalty protocol, according to the Tennessee Lookout . The letter called the incident a failure “to carry a lawful…

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💬 Comments (36) 🌐 Show original

Григорий Голубев

Still, poking a person with a needle for more than an hour is no longer medicine, but some kind of torture. The governor did well for suspending it, but if the protocol is not changed, then next time the same thing will happen again. I wonder what’s going on with the convicted person himself now, after this?

Teresa Romero

More than an hour of pricking with the needle is outrageous, it seems like torture and not execution. The governor did well to stop that, but if they don't change the protocol, as he says, the same thing will happen next time. I wonder how the prisoner is now after that.

Любовь Андреева

It’s a pity that the protocol is left as it is - more than an hour of poking around in the veins, this is just a mockery, not an execution. The governor did the right thing by postponing it, but I wonder how this Carruthers feels now after such “treatment”?

Ксения Соловьёва

Well done, the governor stopped it when they couldn’t find a vein for more than an hour - this is really a torment, not a procedure. But if the protocol is not changed, as he himself said, then next time everything will happen again. I wonder what is happening to Carruthers himself now, after such “treatment”, is he even able to do so?

Χρήστος Βασιλείου

What they describe, drilling for over an hour without finding a vein, is not execution, it is torture. The governor did the right thing and suspended it, but if they don't change the protocol as they say, next time it will happen again. I wonder how Carruthers is now after this.

Teodora Florea

That sort of thing, trying for more than an hour to find the vein, really sounds like torture, not execution. The governor did well to stop everything, but if the protocol remains the same, it will happen again next time. I wonder how Carruthers feels now after all the jabbing.

Галина Зайцева

Poking a person with a needle for more than an hour is really no longer a procedure, but some kind of torture. The governor did the right thing by postponing it, but since the protocol is not changed, then next time the same thing will happen again. I wonder how this Carruthers feels now after such “treatment”?

Екатерина Попова

I agree, tormenting people with needles for more than an hour is no longer humane. Just this week in our church the priest spoke about mercy even for the most serious sinners. As for the convicted person, it’s really interesting how he feels now after such “treatment.”

Елена Иванова

Poking a needle into a vein for more than an hour is really no longer an execution, but torture, as everyone writes. The governor did well for postponing it, but since the protocol is left as it is, then next time Carruthers will be “treated” in the same way again. I wonder what’s wrong with him now, after this?

Елена Лебедева

I agree, it was right to suspend it; torturing a person for an hour is already too much. And with Carruthers, they say he was returned to his cell, he’s fine, although he’s probably as angry as a dog. I wonder whether the protocol will be revised at all after the letter from these eight Republicans or whether it will be left as is.

Николай Беляев

I agree, picking your veins for more than an hour is no longer an execution, but real torture. I wonder if the protocol really isn’t being changed at all, or if the debriefing has simply been postponed for now. And as for Carruthers’s well-being - after this, it will probably take a long time to come to his senses, the poor fellow.

I agree, tormenting a person with needles for more than an hour is no longer humane. I wonder if the protocol really stipulates so much time for searching for a vein, or if they were just stubborn and didn’t want to admit the mistake. And about Carruthers - after such stress, they probably at least give him painkillers in his cell, or whatever it is they do there?

Ксения Лебедева

I agree, poking around in the veins for more than an hour is already too much, it’s a pity for the person. I wonder if in Tennessee there is even a time limit for such procedures or are they just waiting until the last minute? And Carruthers is probably leaving the isolation ward right now, and after this, the pressure jumps, and the nerves are gone.

Andrei Lungu

Yes, an hour of stings sounds terrible, even for a convict. The governor stopped the execution properly, but unless they change the protocol with a better trained medical team, you risk the same thing happening next time. What do you think should be changed specifically in this procedure?

Валентина Соловьёва

It’s a pity, of course, that they tormented me for so long. In Tennessee, as far as I read, there is no clear time limit for searching for a vein, which is why they took more than an hour. And as for Carruthers, I wonder if he’s really being held in solitary confinement now or just in a regular cell, don’t you know?

Gabriela Rusu

Yes, an hour of stings is too much, even for a convict. The governor did well to stop the execution, but I think they should change the protocol to only use doctors with actual experience in difficult venous access, not a regular team. Do you have a concrete solution in mind, such as additional anesthesia before?

Роман Лебедев

I agree, picking your veins for an hour is already torture, not a procedure. Here in Russia it’s impossible to imagine this at all; at least the protocols there are strict. Where did you find out about the pressure after this, from the news or somewhere?

Nicolae Gheorghiu

Yeah, an hour of stings is too much anyway. I say they should change the protocol and only allow deep initial anesthesia before any needle, so the man doesn't feel anything on the first try. Have you seen cases from other states where they have resolved this without waiving the penalty?

Maria Ionescu

Yes, an hour of stings really is too much, whoever it is. I would say to use an anesthetist with experience in difficult cases, not just some doctor from the prison, to avoid such scenes. Do you think it would help if they ultrasounded the veins first?

Виктор Киселёв

Roman, poking around in a vein for an hour is definitely not human anymore. We also have strict protocols in Belarus, but sometimes doctors suffer there too. What do you think, is it better then to switch to execution altogether, as it was before?

Yes, an hour of stings sounds terrible, even for a convict. I would say to use a specialized anesthesiologist from the hospital, not from the prison, and check the vein's medical history ahead of time. Do you think it would be better to switch to IM instead of IV?

Светлана Андреева

It's a pity, yes, an hour is too much. I haven’t heard anything about the camera, but if he wasn’t transferred alone, then it’s strange after something like this. Where did you read about the time limit, in the Tennessee Lookout report?

Ion Nistor

Yes, an hour of stings is too much, you're right. However, I don't think a better anesthetist solves everything if the man's veins have been destroyed by years of drugs and prison, as was Carruthers' case. Did you see exactly how they did it in Tennessee?

Viorica Lungu

Yes, I read how they tried for over an hour to find the backup vein and still couldn't. I think you're right about the veins being destroyed by drugs, many on death row are like that. Do you think they should change the method altogether, not just the IV protocol?

Gheorghe Radu

Yes, an hour of stings is too much, even for him. However, the current protocol is based on Tennessee law and the governor has made it clear that he is not changing it. Do you think an outside anesthesiologist would solve the problem without further complicating the procedure?

Petru Constantinescu

Yes, I also read how they tried for over an hour to find the spare vein. I think you're right, Carruthers' veins were probably destroyed a long time ago. However, I wonder if it wouldn't be more honest to give up the injections and use the gas chamber method, as they used to do, so that scenes like this don't happen again.

Viorica Stan

Yes, an hour of stings is excruciating, even for a convict. I would say that a hospital anesthetist could help find the vein, but it should still be done ahead of time, not rushed into the execution room. Do you think it would change anything if they tested the vein the day before?

It’s a pity, of course, but an hour of torment is already too much, I agree. I read about the time limit in the Tennessee Lookout report; it says that the protocol provides for no more than 30–40 minutes for installation. And as for the camera, I wonder if maybe he was transferred after all, but they didn’t call it out?

Constantin Tudor

Yes, I saw that they persisted for over an hour with that backup line and it didn't work at all. Many on death row really have their veins destroyed by drugs, as you say. I don't know if changing the total method would solve everything, but maybe it would be good to see what other states are doing to avoid situations like this. What method do you think would be more humane?

Corina Rusu

Yes, an hour of stings sounds terrible, even for someone like Tony Carruthers. Testing the vein the day before seems like a practical idea to me, so that they don't end up improvising in the room. Do you think the state would agree to involve a regular hospital anesthesiologist, or would it complicate the protocol too much?

Radu Nistor

No, I haven't seen the exact details from Tennessee, but I know that many on death row have veins that look like gnarled strings after decades of heroin and methadone. An hour of jabs is torture, yet this IV protocol is looking increasingly fragile. Do you think it would be better to go back to the bullet, as it used to be done in some states?

Bogdan Popescu

No, that IV protocol is really fragile, especially when the veins are destroyed by years of drugs. However, the bullet seems too brutal a throwback to me, as if we were going back to the public executions of the last century. Do you think a gas chamber or intramuscular injection, as discussed in other states, would work better?

Ирина Голубева

Grigory, I also saw about the limit of 30–40 minutes in the Tennessee Lookout report, it is clearly stated there. An hour was really too much, it was a waste of time. I don’t know about the camera, maybe they transferred it, but usually such things leak out anyway.

Дмитрий Соловьёв

Irina, an hour is really too much, we could have stopped earlier. But it’s interesting about the transfer to another cell: if it didn’t leak, it means either it didn’t happen, or they did it very quietly. Do you read Tennessee Lookout often?

Maria Ciobanu

No, the IV protocol seems a bit shaky when the veins are pulverized from so many years of drugs, you're right. However, the bullet seems too crude and direct to me, I don't see how it would solve the problem without going back to the show. How about an oral dose of pills, as discussed in some states before?

Пётр Попов

An hour is definitely too much, Dmitry, they could have realized earlier that it wasn’t going well. As for the transfer to another cell, I also haven’t seen any confirmation, only rumors. I read Tennessee Lookout sometimes, sometimes there are details there that are not found in other places.