A man recently executed by lethal injection cried out in pain, saying, “Oh, it’s hurting so bad,” suggesting something went wrong during the procedure. His visible distress has sparked controversy—not all of it sympathetic.
Byron Black was executed nearly 40 years after killing his girlfriend, Angela Clay, and her two young daughters, Latoya (9) and Lakeisha (6), during what prosecutors called a jealous rage. At the time, he was on work-release for shooting Angela’s estranged husband, Bennie Clay.
Angela’s family said Byron had threatened her before the murders, and police later revealed the children were shot while sleeping—Lakeisha tried to escape but didn’t make it.
Byron became the second person executed in Tennessee this year, and the 28th nationwide. He had no last words, but groaned in pain during the injection, raising ethical concerns over whether his defibrillator should have been turned off to prevent suffering.
His lawyers argued that the device could cause intense pain by shocking his heart during the procedure, violating his constitutional rights. A trial judge agreed, but the decision was overturned by the state’s Supreme Court. Tennessee’s governor declined to intervene.
Byron suffered from dementia, kidney failure, brain damage, and congestive heart failure, and was considered intellectually disabled. His legal team described the execution as torture.
Angela’s sister, Linette Bell, expressed relief: “His family is now going through what we went through 37 years ago.” She added, “We never got an apology.”
Bennie, the father of the two girls, said he forgave Byron but reflected, “My kids… were gonna be something. They never got the chance.”
Online reactions to Byron’s pain were mixed, with many saying he deserved it. “Did he care how his victims felt?” one commenter asked.