NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One week before a man is set to die at the hands of the state, church leaders are sharing a message of hope for a better outcome.
Oscar Franklin Smith is scheduled to be executed next Thursday. His last execution date was two years ago, but Governor Lee put it on hold to review the state’s injection methods.
That issue of injection protocol is still front and center, as a group of church leaders came together in Nashville tonight to call on Governor Bill Lee to step in.
"Three years ago, he did the absolutely right thing by stopping executions when he became aware of problems with the protocol. Unfortunately, the new protocol is in my mind even more problematic," stated Rev. Stacy Rector, the director of the group Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
Rector is once again asking Governor Lee to halt an execution. She doesn't believe in the penalty, but she says this is largely about making sure the new protocols are constitutional.
"Why would we not be sure that the courts have reviewed it, before we get there again?" she asked.
Smith and another death row inmate have already asked a Davidson County court to require the state’s Department of Corrections to reveal its sources for the drugs used for lethal injection. They're petitioning that executions be halted until March, until it's all sorted out in a trial.
In the meantime, church leaders are backing them up. "I'm prepared to continue to have this conversation as long as we need to," concluded Rector.
In addition to Smith, three other people are now set for execution in 2025.
You can learn more about lethal injection and execution protocols over the years in Tennessee from our previous coverage.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
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