Memphis, Tenn., Aug 10, 2018 / 11:00 am
Tennessee carried out its first execution in nearly a decade on Thursday evening. Governor Bill Haslam allowed the lethal injection to proceed at a maximum-security Nashville prison, despite controversy over the drug cocktail used and past pleas from the state's three Catholic bishops, who argued that the death penalty was contrary to human dignity and respect for life.
Billy Ray Irick, 59, was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m. Aug. 9 after an execution that took about 20 minutes. Irick was sentenced to death in 1986 for the rape and murder of 7-year-old Paula Kay Dyer, whom he had been babysitting. Irick confessed to her murder and was found guilty after a six-day trial.
After initially declining to say any last words, Irick then apologized for his crimes, saying, "I just want to say I'm really sorry and that, that's it." His lawyer stated his last meal was a burger, onion rings, and a soft drink, and that he was able to meet with prison chaplains before his execution.
In July, Bishop Mark Spalding of Nashville, Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, and Bishop Martin Holley of Memphis wrote a letter to Gov. Haslam asking for him to put an end to the death penalty in the state. The bishops urged him "to use your authority as governor to put an end to the fast-track executions planned for later this year," saying that "the death penalty contributes to the growing disrespect for human life."