Summary
Tennessee executed Byron Black, a 69-year-old inmate, despite concerns that his heart device might cause him severe pain. Black was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her two daughters in 1989. The execution has raised legal questions about the potential for cruel punishment.
Key Facts
- Byron Black was executed in Tennessee for a triple murder committed in 1989.
- Concerns existed that his heart device could cause pain during the lethal injection.
- Black was pronounced dead at 10:43 local time at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.
- He became the 28th person executed in the U.S. this year.
- Black's attorneys worry the execution could have caused unnecessary suffering.
- His appeals were denied, and he maintained his innocence until his death.
- Capital punishment remains legal in 27 states and at the federal level in the U.S.
- Black had health issues, including dementia and heart problems, and used a wheelchair.
