Tennessee Execution
Bethany Mann, right, and Pat Halper, left, both of whom oppose the death penalty, greet one another outside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the scheduled execution of Tony Von Carruthers Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Tennessee halts Tony Carruthers' execution after failing to find a vein for injection, attorney says
An attorney who was present for the planned execution of Tony Carruthers in Tennessee says it was called off after officials struggled to find a vein for more than an hour. Maria DeLiberato, an attorney for Carruthers, said she saw him “wincing and groaning” Thursday and called it “horrible” to watch. 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. Carruthers was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of the 1994 kidnappings and murders of three people in Memphis.
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