Attempts to insert a central line also failed, which – as it was emphasized – led to the cancellation of the execution. Gov. Bill Lee granted a one-year reprieve.
Prior to the authorities' decision, Carruthers' lawyers filed a motion for an emergency stay of execution, arguing that “the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) was unable to obtain intravenous access to administer the lethal injection to Mr. Carruthers” and “multiple attempts to obtain access at alternative injection sites were unsuccessful.”
Defense attorneys also raised alarm that the state may have used the drugs past their expiration dates, and TDOC refused to provide clear assurances on that point.
Chaos surrounding executions in Tennessee
As NBC News noted, executions in Tennessee have been plagued by procedural chaos for years. After it was revealed that the drugs had not been tested for purity and potency, a three-year moratorium was introduced, and a subsequent audit found deficiencies in testing of preparations prepared for seven convicts. The procedures remain shrouded in secrecy, and states pay huge sums to obtain hard-to-find substances. Tennessee spent $650,000. dollars for costs related to enforcement after the moratorium is lifted.
Tony Carruthers claims he is innocent. Lawyers: the system tortures people
Carruthers, convicted of a 1994 triple kidnapping and robbery-related murder, has maintained his innocence from the beginning. Defense lawyers emphasize that there was no material evidence and the accusation was based on the testimony of a paid informant. The bodies of the victims – Marcellos Anderson, his mother Delois, and Frederick Tucker – were found buried under another person's coffin in a Memphis cemetery.
Prosecutors alleged that Carruthers acted in concert with the Montgomery brothers in kidnapping Anderson for the robbery.
In the following years, the case became more complicated. Montgomery was granted the right to a new trial, and DNA testing found no traces belonging to him or Carruthers. The latter still pleads not guilty to the charges. According to his lawyers – quoted by NBC News – the system “tortures a man who consistently maintains his innocence.”
