Tennessee called off the execution of death row inmate Tony Carruthers on Thursday after prison staff could not establish an intravenous line for the lethal drugs. Officials made repeated attempts over more than an hour before stopping the procedure.
Tennessee halted the execution of Tony Carruthers, 57, after staff failed to secure a backup intravenous line following multiple attempts on his arms, feet, and neck. The Tennessee Department of Corrections said a primary line was quickly established but the backup could not be found despite following protocol, including an unsuccessful central line procedure.