Byron Black
Coverage of Byron Black in the Nexus archive.
- Attorneys for Darrell Hines Await an Answer on Whether a Controversial Doctor Will Participate in Execution
Attorneys for Darrell Hines, scheduled for execution on Aug. 13 for a 1985 murder, are seeking clarity on whether Mark Walton Fowler, a family medicine doctor with prior execution involvement, will participate. Fowler faced scrutiny after failing to insert an IV during an aborted execution in May and admitted in a deposition that his last central IV line placement was around 2013, with no hospital privileges. Tennessee's secrecy laws protect the identities of execution participants, but opponents argue they obscure accountability.
- Indiana Banned Press From Executions for “Dignity.” It Actually Serves Repression.
Indiana banned media from attending executions, claiming it preserves the dignity of condemned individuals. The article argues this policy obstructs government accountability, citing numerous botched executions across the U.S. where prisoners suffered visibly.
- Public defenders ask governor to delay all executions amid litigation
Federal public defenders in Tennessee are urging Gov. Bill Lee to delay all death row executions while litigation over the state's lethal injection protocol continues, following a botched execution on May 21 and concerns about procedural violations. The Department of Correction failed to properly execute Tony Carruthers, causing him severe suffering, and public defenders argue the state is ignoring legal warnings about staff competency and protocol adherence.