Tennessee halts man’s execution after failing to find a vein for injection, attorney says

Execution methods used in the United States

Although lethal injection is most common, many states offer alternative methods to execution.

NASHVILLE - The planned execution in Tennessee was called off Thursday after officials struggled to find a vein for an hour, according to a lawyer present. 

Maria DeLiberato, an attorney for Tony Carruthers, said she saw him "wincing and groaning" while officials attempted to find a vein, calling it "horrible" to watch.

Man’s execution halted after failing to find a vein for injection

What they're saying:

In a written statement, the Tennessee Department of Corrections said medical personnel had quickly established a primary IV line but were unable to find a suitable vein for a backup line as required by the state’s execution protocol. Efforts to insert a central line also failed, and officials called off the execution.

Booking photo of Tony Carruthers. (Credit: Tennessee Department of Correction)

The state won't try to execute Carruthers for at least a year, Gov. Bill Lee announced.

Carruthers convicted of killing 3 in Memphis

Dig deeper:

Carruthers, 57, was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the 1994 kidnappings and murders of Marcellos Anderson; his mother, Delois Anderson; and Frederick Tucker. 

There was no physical evidence tying Carruthers to the killings, and he was convicted primarily on the basis of testimony from people who claimed to have heard him confess to or discuss the crimes.

Prosecutors alleged that Anderson was a drug dealer and that Carruthers was attempting to take over the drug trade in his Memphis neighborhood. The witnesses who claimed to have heard Carruthers confess included a man who was later revealed to be a police informant, who subsequently told the media he was paid for his testimony.

James Montgomery, a co-defendant, was originally sentenced to death alongside Carruthers, but was later resentenced and released from prison in 2015, according to court filings.

In their petition, Carruthers’s attorneys argued that he was sentenced to death largely because a medical examiner testified that the victims were buried alive. That claim was later withdrawn, and subsequent experts have stated it was false.