Tennessee has not complied with its own lethal injection process ever since it was revised in 2018, resulting in several executions being conducted without proper testing of the drugs used, according to an independent review released Wednesday.
The report was requested by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who paused all executions in May after acknowledging the state had failed to ensure its lethal injection drugs were properly tested. The oversight forced Lee in April to abruptly halt the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to have been put to death.
Lee's administration has been reviewing the report for more than a week, declining to release it until the governor and his aides examined the hundreds of pages detailing the state's death row process. Lee has maintained he is not trying to bury the report's findings during the holidays.
Tennessee has put seven inmates to death since it ended a prior pause in executions in 2018 --- two by injection and five in the electric chair. In none of those, nor in Smith's planned execution, did the pharmacy conducted a required test for endotoxins, the report states. In one lethal injection that was carried out, the drug midazolam was not tested for potency either.
Further, the independent review found no evidence that the state provided the pharmacy in charge of testing the drugs with a copy of its lethal injection protocol. Nor was there evidence the state ever told the pharmacy it had to test for endotoxins on all injection chemicals until the night before Smith's planned execution, the report says.
Lee appointed former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton to review circumstances that led to the failure and report back. Stanton also reviewed Tennessee's lethal injection manual and Department of Correction staffing.
Stanton's report rebuked top Correction leaders for viewing the "the lethal injection process through a tunnel-vision, result-oriented lens" and claimed the agency failed to provide staff "with the necessary guidance and counsel needed to ensure that Tennessee's lethal injection protocol was thorough, consistent, and followed."
The Department of Correction did not immediately return a request for comment on the report.
Lee said Wednesday he plans leadership changes in the department and will hire a permanent commissioner in January to replace the interim one. The new leaders, he said, will change the lethal injection protocol cooperating with the governor's and attorney general's offices and will review and revise departmental training.
"I have thoroughly reviewed the findings in the independent investigator's report and am directing several actions to ensure the Tennessee Department of Correction adheres to proper protocol," Lee said in a statement. A spokesperson later said "two individuals have had their service expired" because of the report.
Federal Public Defender Kelley Henry said the review exposed "troubling findings," including the "shocking" news that the department never gave a copy of the lethal injection protocol to the pharmacist who made and tested the drugs. Henry was among the witnesses before Stanton's team.
"The state must do everything in its power to avoid the execution botches we have seen in other states and in Tennessee in the recent past," Henry said in a statement. "What we learned today is that secrecy in our state's execution process breeds a lack of accountability, sloppiness, and a high risk of horrifying mistakes."
Since 2018, Tennessee has used a three-drug series to put inmates to death: the sedative midazolam to render the inmate unconscious; vecuronium bromide to paralyze the inmate; and potassium chloride to stop the heart.
The state has repeatedly argued that midazolam renders an inmate unconscious and unable to feel pain. But the report showed that in 2017, state correction officials were warned by a pharmacist that midazolam "`does not elicit strong analgesic effects,' meaning `the subjects may be able to feel pain from the administration of the second and third drugs."'
This warning aligns with what inmates' expert witnesses who have stated for years that the drugs can cause sensations of drowning, suffocation and chemical burning while leaving the condemned unable to move or call out.
The assessment has also led to more inmates choosing the electric chair over lethal injection, an option for some in Tennessee.
While Lee released the full report publicly Wednesday, many of the emails and text messages were redacted to shield the identities of key officials involved in the execution process -- as allowed under Tennessee's public records act.
The reported also said:
---- Tennessee's executioner has no formal healthcare training and learned the role mainly through on-the-job experience. The unidentified executioner has overseen 13 executions in Tennessee. Stanton's team stated that anyone with healthcare training would likely decline the role because of the Hippocratic oath.
---- The state's system of placing all responsibility of procuring lethal injection chemicals and verifying their suitability for executions was "an enormous task to place on one individual," particularly a person with other job requirements. The report said such a system "seems like an abdication of responsibility by TDOC leadership" and also the reason for compliance failures.
Twenty-seven year CTV News reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
An Ontario woman is among the dozens of people who have come forward to allege that they were sexually abused by London-based businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the former chairman and owner of Harrods.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas — and lately, that’s in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder – it’s a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
The death of the Tragically Hip’s lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb has risen to 31, including seven women and three children, Lebanon's health minister said on Saturday.
The end of the day — when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done — is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.
Mattea Roach among the Maritimers honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal Friday.
An Ontario woman is among the dozens of people who have come forward to allege that they were sexually abused by London-based businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, the former chairman and owner of Harrods.
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
The RCMP is seeking the dismissal of three officers who have been suspended from the Coquitlam detachment since June 2021 over allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic comments made in a group chat.
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Voting has ended Saturday in Sri Lanka's presidential election as the country seeks to recover from the worst economic crisis in its history and the resulting political upheaval.
The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb has risen to 31, including seven women and three children, Lebanon's health minister said on Saturday.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
An 11-year-old boy died Monday after subway surfing in New York City. He's the fourth person to die from subway surfing in the city this year.
Kamala Harris blasted Donald Trump as a threat to women's freedoms and their very lives, warning in a speech in the battleground state of Georgia on Friday that Republicans would continue to choke off access to abortion if he returns to the White House.
Lawyers in Britain representing dozens of alleged victims -- including three Canadians -- of Mohamed Al Fayed, the former boss of Harrods, said Friday their clients assert that he was a "monster" who raped and sexually abused young women.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says close to 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, months after warning there is no guarantee Ottawa can evacuate them if the situation deteriorates further.
The federal firearm buyback program has cost taxpayers nearly $67.2 million since it was announced in 2020, but it still hasn't collected a single gun.
For some young people, a popular method for getting a quick high is by misusing laughing gas — and lately, that’s in the form of nitrous oxide from products sold by the company Galaxy Gas.
Looking after an adult with severe autism can be a full-time job. Ask any parent who has a child severely affected by autism spectrum disorder – it’s a job that can get more difficult as the child becomes an adult.
Canada is setting aside $151 million for the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced the news at a Rotary International conference in Toronto.
If something looks too good to be true, it might be. That's the message from Saskatchewan horticulturists after customers have come into their stores hoping to buy purple apple trees this month.
The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said Friday that it plans to restart the reactor under a 20-year agreement that calls for tech giant Microsoft to buy the power to supply its data centers with carbon-free energy.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week.
The death of the Tragically Hip’s lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was arrested this week on charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was ordered to remain in custody until his federal trial in New York. CNN spoke to several legal experts to try to understand what lies ahead for Combs and for those in his orbit.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
It is not a great time to be a coffee drinker. In general, coffee bean prices are the highest they've been in more than a decade.
Experts say rising team valuations and the desire to forge a legacy are likely at the heart of what motivated Rogers Communications Inc. executive chair Edward Rogers to bolster the company's portfolio of Toronto professional sports teams.
Boeing said on Friday the head of the company's troubled defence, space and security unit is leaving the planemaker effective immediately.
The end of the day — when school, extracurricular activities and homework are (hopefully) finally done — is the window that many kids have for downtime. It can be a struggle to convince them not to go on their phones.
When Bernard Morissette got a call from Loto-Quebec on Sept. 18 and was asked if he was sitting down, he had no idea what was coming his way.
A new study has found that engaging in creative activities can significantly boost well-being by providing meaningful spaces for expression and achievement.
Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."
Andre De Grasse, fresh off of winning Olympic gold in the 4x100-metre rally in Paris 2024, has been in Toronto for the latest few weeks as part of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won five in a row. The Edmonton Elks have won five of their last six games. They are the two hottest teams in the West. When they meet Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium, something has to give.
General Motors (GM) has issued a recall for 38,000 vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, Transport Canada reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of 'remotely disabling' his Cybertruck, which had been sent to the frontline of Russia's war in Ukraine.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.
The RCMP is seeking the dismissal of three officers who have been suspended from the Coquitlam detachment since June 2021 over allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic comments made in a group chat.
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
On the day he spoke to one of his largest audiences to date, the leader of the BC Conservatives made an exceptionally misleading statement around a well-publicized funding model for political parties that’s been in place since 2018.
Toronto police say an officer was injured after police pursued a robbery suspect onto the tracks at Bloor-Yonge Station late last night.
Three people were taken to hospital following a serious collision which shut down Hwy. 48 in Markham late Friday night.
One person was taken to hospital after a motorcycle and another vehicle collided in the Fairbank area overnight.
Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."
The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.
Environment Canada issued a frost advisory for Calgary late Friday afternoon.
Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.
For years, the commute to Ottawa's west end was one of the biggest complaints for attending fans. But those who live in Kanata and in the immediate LeBreton area say the move would be a big change their respective neighbourhoods.
Ottawa police are investigating a shooting downtown Friday afternoon.
Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating a suspected arson attack that occurred early Saturday morning in the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc Extension borough.
Provincial police (SQ) were called around 3:45 a.m. Saturday to a fire in wood bins on Rang de l'Annonciation in Oka, in the Laurentians.
The death of the Tragically Hip’s lead singer Gord Downie united fans across Canada in their grief, but in many ways pulled his bandmates apart.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
Two Edmonton Police Service officers have been criminally charged in connection with an assault.
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
The New Brunswick Liberals say they will build 30,000 new housing units by 2030 if elected into power.
Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.
A plane approaches the grass runway at Harv’s Air School south of Steinbach. Nothing is getting in the way of a clear, smooth landing, but owner Harv Penner worries, that could soon change.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Regina police are responding to a collision involving a motorcycle on Friday evening.
Five Regina schools were placed into lockdown or secure the building mode following a report of a weapons investigation at Miller High School on Friday.
Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.
The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality’s ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.
A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.
Hospital beds in hallways, supply shortages in the neonatal intensive care unit, and operating rooms being put on hold are some of the concerns nurses are voicing, according to the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).
The Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating after a 29-year-old man died in hospital.
A garage fire in Saskatoon’s Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.
Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.
A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.
Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.
St. Thomas police have charged a St. Thomas resident following an incident on Friday.
If you prefer cash over card, unfortunately Budweiser Gardens will no longer accept it.
The London Police Service (LPS) has launched a public survey, looking at policing and community safety.
Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.
A man is facing numerous drug trafficking charges after Dufferin OPP seized a large assortment of drugs and weapons in Orangeville earlier this week.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.
A LaSalle high school is celebrating its emerald anniversary this weekend, with everyone who has ever walked its halls invited to return.
The final phase of investigation in downtown Wheatley is nearing completion over three years after a major gas explosion.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is searching for the occupants of a vehicle caught on security cameras during a fatal police-involved shooting on Goyeau Street.
A home has been transformed for the benefit of a B.C. neighbourhood, by a man who was transformed by the caring of his community.
When the federal government announced all open net fish farms on the British Columbia coast need to be out of the water by 2029, it also promised to produce a draft transition plan by the end of July. It missed that target by seven weeks.
New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
After a summer of preparation, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are ready to open the 2024-25 season.
As a new semester is underway, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge say the number of students on campus is on the rise.
A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.
Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.
A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
