USA Tennessee Execution Drama: Inmate's Heart Device Controversy

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Picture courtesy of Tennessee Department of Correction/AP

 

Tennessee is set to execute Byron Black for the 1988 killings of a mother and her two young daughters, as concerns mount over his heart implant potentially causing repeated shocks during the lethal injection. Black's attorneys are fighting for the deactivation of his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to avoid what they claim would be a torturous and prolonged execution.

 

The ICD, designed to regulate Black's heartbeat, sits at the heart of an intensive legal battle. His legal team argues that without deactivation, the lethal drugs would trigger repeated shocks as the ICD attempts to restore his heart's rhythm. This, they claim, breaches the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel punishment. Tennessee officials, however, counter that Black would be unconscious and unable to feel pain if the device activated during the execution.

 

The case highlights the ethical complexity where medicine and capital punishment meet. The American Medical Association opposes medical participation in executions, creating a dilemma for Tennessee, as no medical professionals have agreed to deactivate Black’s device. Despite a court ruling in Black's favour that ordered the device's deactivation, it was overruled by the Tennessee Supreme Court, citing a lack of jurisdiction, according to CNN.

 

Byron Black faces intellectual disability claims from his legal team and is described by his attorneys as a frail and sickly figure suffering from numerous health conditions. They argue the decision should exempt him from execution, with an appeal already submitted to the US Supreme Court.

 

Defying the call for device deactivation, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti asserts that Black will not experience severe pain. Highlighting the 37 years since the brutal murders of Angela Clay and her daughters, Skrmetti pledges to continue seeking justice for the victims' family.

 

Black received the ICD in May 2024, which includes pacemaker functions for low heart rates and defibrillator shocks for high heart rates. Non-invasive methods can deactivate the device, but due to ethical stances against participating in executions, no professionals have agreed to perform this task.

 

The murders Black committed, shooting his girlfriend and her daughters with .44-calibre bullets matching those from a previous incident involving the girl’s father led to his death sentence. The execution, if it proceeds without the deactivation of Black's ICD, could set a precedent regarding the intersection of healthcare technology and capital punishment.

 

In summary, Byron Black's impending execution on Tuesday is under scrutiny due to concerns over his ICD potentially causing suffering. The legal clash underscores the ongoing debate around capital punishment and medical ethics, emphasising the intricate issues involved in executing individuals with health complications.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-08-05