Death Row Inmate Dies in Prison - Articles

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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 16, 2025

Gerald Powers, a Tennessee man sentenced to death 26 years ago, died Saturday while on death row, the Tennessean reports. The official cause of death is pending a medical examiner’s report, but the Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed Powers had advanced metastatic cancer at the time of his death. He was one of 45 male death row inmates housed at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Attorneys with the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Tennessee allege that the state failed to provide adequate treatment for Powers' illness. His death comes as Tennessee resumes executions following a five-year pause, with four executions scheduled this year. Powers was not among that group.