Tennessee has carried out the execution of Byron Black, a 64-year-old inmate who spent over three decades on death row for the 1988 murders of his girlfriend and her two young daughters.
Black was pronounced dead at 8:01 pm local time on Thursday after receiving a lethal injection at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. His final words were reportedly: "I'm ready to go home."
A Crime That Shocked Tennessee
The execution marks the end of a 35-year legal saga that began when Black shot Angela Clay, 29, and her daughters Latoya, 9, and Lakesha, 6, at their Nashville home. Prosecutors described the crime scene as particularly brutal, with evidence showing the children had tried to hide before being killed.
Controversial Case
Black's attorneys had fought for years to stop the execution, arguing their client had an intellectual disability and that racial bias influenced his sentencing. As a Black defendant convicted of killing Black victims, his case raised questions about racial disparities in death penalty cases.
"The system failed Byron Black at every turn," said defense attorney Henry Martin. "From inadequate legal representation to the courts refusing to properly consider evidence of his intellectual limitations."
Execution Protocol
Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed the execution proceeded without complications. The state uses a three-drug protocol for lethal injections, though this method has faced increasing scrutiny nationwide.
This was Tennessee's first execution since 2020 and only the 14th since 1960. The state currently has 44 inmates remaining on death row.
Victims' Family Reacts
Family members of the victims declined to speak to media after the execution. In previous statements, they had expressed relief that justice was finally being served after decades of legal delays.
The case has reignited debates about capital punishment in Tennessee, with protesters gathering outside the prison during the execution holding signs that read "State-Sanctioned Murder" and "Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied."
