Tennessee's execution physician botched Tony Carruthers' lethal injection; governor postponed execution one year

On the morning of May 21, 2026, correctional staff at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville spent approximately 30 minutes attempting to insert a backup intravenous line into Tony Carruthers, a death row inmate convicted of a triple murder, before calling in the state's appointed execution physician. Dr. Mark Fowler then attempted to place a central IV line into Carruthers' chest — the last-resort option under Tennessee's lethal injection protocol — working for more than 90 minutes before the procedure was abandoned. Witnesses in the execution chamber described the scene as bloody and tortuous.

Fowler had placed a central intravenous line "a dozen or more times" in emergency room settings before 2013, but had not performed the procedure since he stopped working as an emergency room physician that year and confirmed he holds no hospital privileges — meaning no hospital has authorized him to practice or perform procedures at its facility. The American Medical Association's Code of Ethics prohibits physicians from participating in executions, including by starting intravenous lines for lethal injection; the relative scarcity of willing physicians has left Tennessee relying on practitioners with limited recent experience in the relevant procedures. The state, invoking a secrecy statute, had sought to conceal Fowler's identity, though his name had already been publicly spoken by Warden Kenneth Nelsen during a prior execution.

As Fowler was attempting the procedure, Carruthers' attorneys sought emergency intervention from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Before the court could rule, Governor Bill Lee called off the execution and postponed it for one year.

Updates

2026-07-21 — Lee declined Republican senators' request for independent review before further executions [2]

Governor Bill Lee declined a request from a group of Republican state senators who had urged him to commission an independent review of the botched Carruthers execution and correct any problems before attempting another execution. Lee also declined to postpone scheduled upcoming executions, including Darrell Hines' August 13 execution.

2026-07-21 — Darrell Hines sought court-ordered replacement of Fowler as his August 13 execution approached [2]

On July 21, 2026, attorneys for death row inmate Darrell Hines filed in Davidson County Chancery Court seeking either replacement of Dr. Mark Fowler as the overseeing physician for Hines' scheduled August 13 execution or appointment of a special master to evaluate whether use of the same physician would expose Hines to unconstitutional risk of pain and suffering. Chancellor Russell Perkins granted a motion compelling the Tennessee Department of Corrections to disclose whether Fowler would oversee the execution. Governor Lee declined to postpone Hines' execution despite the pending proceeding.

2026-07-23 — Hines petitioned Tennessee Supreme Court for conditional stay as state refused to disclose physician [3]

On July 22–23, 2026, attorneys for Darrell Hines escalated to the Tennessee Supreme Court, petitioning for a conditional stay of Hines's August 13 execution conditioned on the state's refusal to replace Dr. Mark Fowler as execution physician. The Davidson County Chancery Court order compelling disclosure of the physician's identity was stayed pending higher court review. The state had declined to confirm whether Fowler would oversee the Hines execution.