State prison officials failed to follow lethal injection protocol, report finds
Gov. Bill Lee retained Edward Stanton, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, to conduct an investigation of TDOC protocols after pausing the execution of Oscar Franklin Smith, a Nashville man convicted of murder. (Ian Round/The Daily Memphian file)
Gov. Bill Lee granted Oscar Smith a reprieve after finding TDOC failed to properly test lethal injection chemicals, then retained a former federal prosecutor to investigate why it happened.
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Bill Lee Edward Stanton III death penalty Tennessee Department Of Correction Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Ian Round
Ian Round is The Daily Memphian’s state government reporter based in Nashville. He came to Tennessee from Maryland, where he reported on local politics for Baltimore Brew. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in December 2019.
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