TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 10, 2025

Attorneys for Byron Black, the man executed by the state of Tennessee last month, say an autopsy confirmed that he suffered from pulmonary edema before his death. But they also say other questions about what he experienced during his execution remain unanswered. “The autopsy report itself fails to document the condition of the veins, which leaves unanswered questions. It also fails to document the EKG results. TDOC [Tennessee Department of Corrections] has indicated that it will not even begin to answer our public records request until Dec. 3 ... As we move through discovery in chancery court, we will obtain further information as to what went wrong," Black's lawyers said according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. Media witnesses, including the Banner, reported that Black lifted his head, groaned and said “oh, it’s hurting so bad” during his Aug. 5 lethal injection.