A man recently executed by lethal injection cried out in pain, saying, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hurting so bad,\u201d suggesting something went wrong during the procedure. His visible distress has sparked controversy\u2014not all of it sympathetic.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s estranged husband, Bennie Clay.<\/p>\n
Angela\u2019s family said Byron had threatened her before the murders, and police later revealed the children were shot while sleeping\u2014Lakeisha tried to escape but didn\u2019t make it.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Supreme Court. Tennessee\u2019s governor declined to intervene.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Angela\u2019s sister, Linette Bell, expressed relief: \u201cHis family is now going through what we went through 37 years ago.\u201d She added, \u201cWe never got an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bennie, the father of the two girls, said he forgave Byron but reflected, \u201cMy kids\u2026 were gonna be something. They never got the chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Online reactions to Byron\u2019s pain were mixed, with many saying he deserved it. \u201cDid he care how his victims felt?\u201d one commenter asked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A man recently executed by lethal injection cried out in pain, saying, \u201cOh, it\u2019s hurting so bad,\u201d suggesting something went wrong during the procedure. His visible distress has sparked controversy\u2014not 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…<\/p>\n