• Tennessee execution of Oscar Smith moves forward with a new lethal injection method after a three-year delay.
• Smith maintains his innocence and claims his original trial was unfair despite strong evidence cited by the court.
• He rejected the electric chair due to religious beliefs and filed a lawsuit challenging the updated execution protocol.

Tennessee will move forward with the execution of Oscar Smith. The state halted his execution in 2022 due to concerns with the lethal injection drugs. Governor Bill Lee made the decision just minutes before it was scheduled. Now, three years later, the state has addressed the drug issues and scheduled a new date. Smith, now 75 years old, has spent over three decades on death row. He says the extra time brought only more pain. “More than hell,” he said in a recent call. Smith believes conditions inside the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution have worsened. He says prison staff don’t follow the rules. He asked his family not to attend the execution. “They don’t need to see anything like that,” he said.

Smith Reflects on Execution and Spiritual Support

Smith said he will not be alone in the death chamber. His personal minister plans to be there with him. She will pray and place her hand on his shoulder. He feels grateful for her support but worries about her well-being. “I’m having a real hard time adjusting to the idea of having a young lady in the execution chamber,” he said. “She doesn’t need any bad experiences.” Smith has made peace with some parts of what’s ahead. But he struggles with how the public views executions. “It sounds like we’re going back to medieval times,” he said. He compared it to people watching gladiators. “Why anyone wants to see anyone being killed, I don’t understand it. We’re supposed to be a civilized country.”

Conviction Dates Back to 1989 Triple Murder

A jury convicted Smith in 1990. They found him guilty of killing his estranged wife, Judith Smith, and her two sons. Jason was 13, and Chad was 16. Smith shot and stabbed all three victims in their Nashville home on October 1, 1989. The court sentenced him to death. Since then, he has continued to claim innocence. The upcoming execution brings closure for some, including relatives of the victims. Some plan to attend, according to a Tennessee Department of Correction spokesperson. The Associated Press tried to reach out to them for comment, but none agreed to speak.

State Introduces New Lethal Injection Procedure

Tennessee has changed how it carries out executions. Officials released a new protocol in December. The state now uses a single drug called pentobarbital. Other states have used this drug before. The federal government also used it in the past. But under President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland stopped its use. He said it might cause “unnecessary pain and suffering.” The new Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has ordered a review of that decision. Tennessee says the updated process meets legal and medical standards. Smith will be the first person in the state to face this new method.

Smith Challenges New Execution Method in Court

He filed a lawsuit against Tennessee. He says the state ignored key recommendations from a 2022 investigation. Governor Lee ordered the review after problems with past executions. The investigation lasted a year and gave many suggestions. Smith believes the Tennessee Department of Correction failed to follow them. But the trial for his lawsuit won’t start until January. That will be too late to help him. Only Governor Lee can stop the execution. On Tuesday, he said he plans to let it proceed.

Smith Rejects Electric Chair Based on Faith

Tennessee allows inmates to choose between lethal injection and the electric chair. Some prisoners have picked the electric chair, believing it’s faster and less painful. Smith chose not to choose. His faith played a major role in that decision. “Because of my religious beliefs, I wouldn’t participate or sign anything,” he said. “I was taught that taking your own life, or having anything to do with it, is a sin.” Smith believes signing any form related to the method of death would go against his beliefs.

DNA Evidence Raises Questions but Court Refuses Appeal

Smith continues to say he’s innocent. He believes his original trial was unfair – said so during a phone interview on May 7. He spoke just before entering a 14-day isolation period, part of Tennessee’s new execution protocol. In 2022, new DNA testing found another person’s DNA on one of the murder weapons. Smith hoped this would lead to a new trial. A judge refused the request. The court said the evidence against Smith remained strong. That included earlier threats and a life insurance policy Smith took out for the victims. Smith disagrees with that decision. “Now that I could rebut everything they used against me, the courts don’t want to hear it,” he said. He still wants a new trial. He wants a jury to declare him truly innocent.