TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 18, 2025

Federal Public Defender (PD) Kelley Henry said Byron Black’s defibrillator did not activate during his Aug. 4 execution by lethal injection, Nashville Banner reports. Witnesses to the lethal injection said Black lifted his head off the gurney during the execution, groaned and said, “Oh, it’s hurting so bad.” It will be eight to 12 weeks before Black’s autopsy and toxicology reports are available, but Henry warned that the question of what was causing pain may go unanswered. The lethal dose of pentobarbital administered to Black should have rendered him unresponsive within seconds. Her team plans to submit public records requests to gather more information but a state motion to stay all proceedings would prohibit such discovery into the pentobarbital used. A hearing on the state’s motion is set for Aug. 22.