Tennessee proceed with execution for Byron Black

A recent article has reported that Tennessee have executed Bryon Black, who had an implanted defibrillator despite concerns that the medical device may attempt to restart his heart.

Mr Black had been convicted for a triple homicide in 1988, however suffered from dementia, brain damage, kidney failure and heart damage which required the use of an implantable defibrillator. The article reports that Mr Black’s intellectual disabilities should have made him ineligible for the death penalty.

Mr Black’s lawyers attempted to halt the execution to have the courts acknowledge his intellectual disabilities and review his sentence several times.

Mr Black’s lawyers also argued that executing Mr Black without disabling the defibrillator would cause extreme pain and violate the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

The article further reports that the number of executions nationwide in 2025 are the highest since 2015 where 28 people have been put to death.

You can read the full article here