NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday he will not intervene in the case of death row inmate Tony Carruthers after reviewing his clemency request.
In a statement received around noon, Lee said, “After deliberate consideration of Tony Von Carruthers’ request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene.”
Tuesday evening, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision denying Carruthers’ request for post-conviction DNA testing ahead of his scheduled execution.
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Advocates and family delivered a petition signed by people all over the country to Governor Bill Lee on Monday. It urges him to halt the execution of inmate Tony Carruthers.
Advocacy groups including Alternatives to the Death Penalty, the American Civil Liberties Union, Faith Leaders of Color Coalition (FLOCC), and more joined family at the Tennessee Capitol to call on Gov. Lee to stop the execution scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.
"Because when there is untested DNA evidence, evidence that could provide truth, clarity, and certainty, the state of Tennessee has a moral obligation to examine it before taking a human life."
Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition urging Gov. Bill Lee to stop the execution of Tony Carruthers. The petition was delivered to Gov. Lee's Office on Monday. The execution is scheduled for Thursday.@NC5 pic.twitter.com/7m5OrneDUS
— Megan Scarano (@MScaranoNews) May 19, 2026
Carruthers was convicted and sentenced to death three decades ago for a triple murder in Memphis. Attorneys for Tony Carruthers argue no physical evidence links him to the killings and say six fingerprints recovered from the crime scene did not match him. Advocates want forensic testing completed before the state carries out irreversible punishment.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Megan.Scarano@newschannel5.com
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