Frederick Tucker

The sister of a Tennessee death row inmate has filed a complaint against Dr. Mark Fowler, accusing him of violating medical ethics during a failed execution attempt. The complaint alleges Fowler caused excruciating pain and potential stroke-related harm by administering lidocaine without allergy checks and persisting with IV attempts despite visible distress.

The sister of a Tennessee death row inmate whose execution was halted due to IV complications has filed a complaint against the involved doctor. The complaint accuses Dr. Mark Fowler of violating medical ethics by causing visible distress, administering lidocaine without allergy checks, and attempting a central line despite lacking recent experience. The execution was called off by the governor.

Tony Carruthers was executed in Tennessee after a botched process involving repeated failed attempts to access his veins, raising concerns about the procedure. He was convicted in 1996 for the 1994 kidnapping and murder of three individuals, with prosecutors relying on recanted testimony from an informant and no forensic evidence linking him to the crimes.

Tennessee is set to execute Tony Carruthers, 57, on Thursday for 1994 murders in Memphis. His lawyers argue there is no physical evidence linking him to the crimes, claim he is mentally incompetent, and raise concerns about potentially expired lethal injection drugs being used.