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Politics|Tennessee Inmate Executed Despite Ethical Health Concerns
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/us/politics/tennessee-execution-heart-implant.html
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Lawyers for Byron Black, found guilty of three murders, had argued that an execution may be more painful because of his heart implant.
Aug. 5, 2025Updated 1:14 p.m. ET
Tennessee executed a prisoner on Tuesday morning who had a heart implant, in a case that raised concerns about whether a lethal injection without turning the device off could have caused a torturous death.
Lawyers for the prisoner, Byron Black, who was convicted in 1989 of killing his onetime girlfriend and her two young daughters, had already argued unsuccessfully that intellectual disability should have exempted Mr. Black from the death penalty.
The fact that the heart device, which functioned as both a pacemaker and a defibrillator, continued to operate during his execution added another ethical quandary. Mr. Black’s lawyers and some medical experts warned that the device might shock him repeatedly, attempting to keep him alive, during the execution.
The seven reporters who served as witnesses all said that Mr. Black, who was strapped down, did appear to show signs of distress, including heavy breathing, during the execution.
At one point, according to several reporters, Mr. Black said something about it hurting “so bad.” His spiritual adviser, who prayed for him and the three victims, responded, “I am so sorry.”
It was unclear what had directly caused Mr. Black’s pain. His lawyer said his legal team would request an autopsy and documentation from the execution.
