Dr. Mark Fowler

Tennessee's updated lethal injection protocol, implemented in January 2025, reduces IV placement training during monthly rehearsals. The protocol's changes coincided with the aborted execution of Tony Carruthers in May, where prison staff failed to establish an IV line, raising concerns about executioners' qualifications and ethical compliance.

Tennessee's updated lethal injection protocol, effective January 2025, reduces IV placement training during rehearsals. The protocol's changes followed an independent review and were highlighted during the May 2025 aborted execution of Tony Carruthers, where prison staff struggled to establish IV lines. Concerns about execution team qualifications and ethical issues involving physician Mark Fowler, who assists in executions despite AMA ethics guidelines, persist in ongoing litigation.

Tennessee abandoned the execution of Tony Carruthers after a failed lethal injection attempt, but three more executions are scheduled this year for Darrell Hines, Christa Pike, and Gary Sutton. Legal challenges and calls for a pause on the death penalty remain unresolved, with ongoing litigation over execution protocols and medical practices.