Latest news with #TennesseeDepartmentofCorrection
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Media witness recounts execution of Oscar Smith
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Oscar Franklin Smith became the first man in five years to be executed in Tennessee on Thursday, and News 2's Tori Gessner was selected to witness it. Smith was convicted of the 1989 murders of his estranged wife, Judy, and her two teenage sons, Chad and Jason, in Nashville. The only hiccup during the execution was things got underway later than scheduled on Thursday, May 22 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. The seven media witnesses were seated in the room where they would watch Smith be put to death 15 minutes behind schedule, at 10:16 a.m. Only permitted to have a pen and notebook issued by the Tennessee Department of Correction, journalists vigorously took notes of the sights and sounds they witnessed. Oscar Smith executed in Tennessee Thursday While the curtains to the death chamber were closed, Smith's spiritual advisor could be heard reading scriptures from the Bible. At 10:32 a.m., the curtains opened. Smith could be seen lying on a table horizontally, wearing a yellow gown with a white sheet covering his lower body. He was strapped down, his hands were covered and secured with a beige wrap, and an IV was coming out of his right arm. It's unclear when the pentobarbital, the single drug Tennessee selected in its new death penalty protocol, was injected. During he entire process, Smith's spiritual advisor prayed as two men dressed in black suits, also in the death chamber, watched on. One man asked Smith if he had any last words. Smith replied, 'Yes.' Tennessee's new death penalty protocol: What's different His statement lasted multiple minutes and was critical of Gov. Bill Lee for not doing 'the right thing' and stopping his execution. 'Too many innocent people are being killed,' Smith said. 'If [he] ain't got no balls to do the right thing, quit being governor and walk away…our justice system is broke…That's what experts are for. The working man doesn't have that knowledge…more men are waiting to die at Riverbend…need a governor to know what his duties are…get a backbone…in the future.' 'I'll see you someday,' Smith told his spiritual advisor, who continued to pray. 'I didn't kill her,' Smith whispered. At one point, his spiritual advisor mentioned the two teenage victims, Chad and Jason, by name. ⏩ Smith never appeared to show any signs of distress and never made any sudden movements. His execution looked similar to someone falling asleep. At 10:40 a.m., a blue-gloved hand popped out from a hole the wall behind Smith, and a rock was placed on the ledge. At 10:44 a.m., it was difficult to tell if Smith's stomach was still rising and falling. The curtains closed at 10:45 a.m. An official's voice came over the loud speaker and announced Smith's time of death was 10:47 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Toronto Sun
22-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Tennessee man is executed for killing his wife and her 2 sons, 3 years after last-minute reprieve
Published May 22, 2025 • 2 minute read This undated booking photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows inmate Oscar Smith. Photo by Tennessee Department of Correction via AP, File / AP NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee inmate Oscar Smith was executed by lethal injection on Thursday morning for the 1989 murders of his estranged wife Judith Smith and her teenage sons, Jason and Chad Burnett. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Smith, 75, was scheduled to receive a lethal injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital at 10:10 a.m. The 75-year-old had maintained his innocence, and in a lengthy series of final words, in part said, 'Somebody needs to tell the governor the justice system doesn't work.' In a recent interview with AP, he primarily wanted to discuss the ways he felt the court system had failed him. He was convicted of fatally stabbing and shooting Judith Smith, 13-year-old Jason Burnett and 16-year-old Chad Burnett at their Nashville, Tennessee, home on Oct. 1, 1989. He was sentenced to death by a Davidson County jury in July 1990 for the murders. In 2022, a Davidson County Criminal Court judge denied requests to reopen his case despite some new evidence that the DNA of an unknown person was on one of the murder weapons. The judge wrote that the evidence of Smith's guilt was overwhelming and the DNA evidence did not tip the scales in his favour. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Two of Smith's co-workers testified at trial that he had solicited them to kill Judith Smith, and he had a history of threats and violence against her and the boys. Smith had also taken out insurance policies on all three victims. And one of the child victims could be heard yelling what prosecutors said was, 'Frank, no!' in the background of a 911 call on the night of the murder. Frank is Smith's middle name and the one that he used regularly. Darlene Kimbrough, who knows Smith through her visits to another inmate on death row over the past decade, said she sent him a card recently. It just said, ''I hope you know that you are loved,'' Kimbrough said. Unexpectedly, she received a letter in reply on Tuesday, thanking her. She thinks that Smith was at peace with the idea of death, she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Tennessee executions have been on hold for five years, first because of COVID-19 and then because of missteps by the Tennessee Department of Correction. Smith came within minutes of execution in 2022 before he was saved by a surprise reprieve from Republican Gov. Bill Lee. It later turned out the lethal drugs that were going to be used had not been properly tested. A yearlong investigation turned up numerous other problems with Tennessee executions. The correction department issued new guidelines for executions in December. The new execution manual contains a single page on the lethal injection chemicals with no specific directions for testing the drugs. It also removes the requirement that the drugs come from a licensed pharmacist. Smith's attorney, Amy Harwell, has said, 'It's as if, having been caught breaking their own rules, TDOC decided, 'Let's just not have rules.'' The new protocols are the subject of a lawsuit filed by Smith and other death row inmates. A trial in that case is set for next January. Basketball Canada Columnists Sunshine Girls World
22-05-2025
Tennessee man faces execution for killing his wife and her 2 sons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A Tennessee man who killed his wife and her two teenage sons was scheduled to be executed on Thursday morning, three years after he was saved by a last-minute reprieve. Oscar Smith, 75, was scheduled to receive a lethal injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital at 10:10 a.m. Smith has always claimed to be innocent, and in an interview with The Associated Press recently, he primarily wanted to discuss the ways he felt the court system had failed him. He was convicted of fatally stabbing and shooting his estranged wife, Judith Smith, 13-year-old Jason Burnett and 16-year-old Chad Burnett at their Nashville, Tennessee, home on Oct. 1, 1989. He was sentenced to death by a Davidson County jury in July 1990 for the murders. In 2022, a Davidson County Criminal Court judge denied requests to reopen his case despite some new evidence that the DNA of an unknown person was on one of the murder weapons. The judge wrote that the evidence of Smith's guilt was overwhelming and the DNA evidence did not tip the scales in his favor. Tennessee executions have been on hold for five years, first because of COVID-19 and then because of missteps by the Tennessee Department of Correction. Smith came within minutes of execution in 2022 before he was saved by a surprise reprieve from Republican Gov. Bill Lee. It later turned out the lethal drugs that were going to be used on him had not been properly tested. A subsequent yearlong investigation turned up numerous other problems with Tennessee executions. The Correction Department issued new guidelines for executions in December. The new execution manual contains only a single page on the lethal injection chemicals with no specific directions for testing the drugs. It also removes the requirement that the drugs come from a licensed pharmacist. Smith's attorney, Amy Harwell, has characterized it this way: 'It's as if, having been caught breaking their own rules, TDOC decided, 'Let's just not have rules.'' The new protocols are the subject of a lawsuit filed by Smith and other death row inmates. A trial in that case is set for next January.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Tennessee man faces execution for killing wife, 2 sons, three years after last-minute reprieve
A Tennessee man who killed his wife and her two teenage sons was scheduled to be executed on Thursday morning, three years after he was saved by a last-minute reprieve. Oscar Smith, 75, was scheduled to receive a lethal injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital at 10:10 a.m. Smith has always claimed to be innocent, and in an interview with The Associated Press recently, he primarily wanted to discuss the ways he felt the court system had failed him. He was convicted of fatally stabbing and shooting his estranged wife, Judith Smith, 13-year-old Jason Burnett and 16-year-old Chad Burnett at their Nashville, Tennessee, home on Oct. 1, 1989. He was sentenced to death by a Davidson County jury in July 1990 for the murders. In 2022, a Davidson County Criminal Court judge denied requests to reopen his case despite some new evidence that the DNA of an unknown person was on one of the murder weapons. The judge wrote that the evidence of Smith's guilt was overwhelming and the DNA evidence did not tip the scales in his favor. Tennessee executions have been on hold for five years, first because of COVID-19 and then because of missteps by the Tennessee Department of Correction. Smith came within minutes of execution in 2022 before he was saved by a surprise reprieve from Republican Gov. Bill Lee. It later turned out the lethal drugs that were going to be used on him had not been properly tested. A subsequent yearlong investigation turned up numerous other problems with Tennessee executions. The Correction Department issued new guidelines for executions in December. The new execution manual contains only a single page on the lethal injection chemicals with no specific directions for testing the drugs. It also removes the requirement that the drugs come from a licensed pharmacist. Smith's attorney, Amy Harwell, has characterized it this way: 'It's as if, having been caught breaking their own rules, TDOC decided, 'Let's just not have rules.'' The new protocols are the subject of a lawsuit filed by Smith and other death row inmates. A trial in that case is set for next January.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee governor refuses another death row reprieve
Gov. Bill Lee is declining to give death row inmates a reprieve as they challenge the state's new protocol for lethal injections.(Photo by Joe Raedle/Newsmakers) With a day left before Tennessee resumes executions, Gov. Bill Lee is declining to give death row inmates a reprieve as they challenge the state's new protocol for lethal injections. Attorneys for Oscar Smith, who is to be put to death Thursday for the 1989 murders of his estranged wife and her two sons, said the governor denied the request this week of death row prisoners even though a trial on the execution process won't be held until January 2026. Inmates are raising questions about the protocol's constitutionality and say 'serious questions' remain about the safety and efficacy of the lethal chemicals and the execution team's qualifications. Lee put a hold on executions in 2022, just minutes before Smith was to be executed, because of errors in the Tennessee Department of Correction protocol. 'Gov. Lee, has in the past, used his power to prevent Tennesseans from making irreparable mistakes. We had hoped he would do it again. There is no principled reason to allow the state to resume executions before the court has an opportunity to hear all the evidence about whether TDOC is sourcing its lethal chemicals legally, whether those chemicals are contaminated, unexpired, and undiluted, and whether the execution team is capable of carrying out its duties competently and constitutionally. Tennessee can do better than this,' said Kelley Henry, an attorney for the prisoners. A Davidson County chancellor turned down the state's request May 15 to dismiss most of the prisoners' claims, including a constitutional challenge to the lethal injection protocol. A court order also is pending on a state request for a protective order that would shield the identity of the supplier of lethal drugs and execution team members. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
