Tennessee's governor granted a one-year stay of execution for Tony Carruthers after his lethal injection was halted when officials struggled to find a vein for more than an hour.
Maria DeLiberato, a lawyer for Carruthers, said she saw him “wincing and groaning” while officials attempted to find a vein, calling it “horrible” to watch.
DeLiberato was addressing reporters when the reprieve was announced and began crying.
“That’s amazing!” she said. “I’m so grateful!”
In a written statement, the Tennessee Department of Corrections said medical personnel had quickly established a primary IV line but were unable to find a suitable vein for a backup line as required by the state’s execution protocol. Efforts to insert a central line also failed, and officials called off the execution.
