Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday issued a temporary reprieve to the execution of convicted killer Oscar Franklin Smith due to an “oversight in preparation for lethal injection.”
The state’s governor called off the execution just an hour before it was scheduled to go ahead at 7 p.m.
“Due to an oversight in preparation for lethal injection, the scheduled execution of Oscar Smith will not move forward tonight,” Lee said in a statement on social media. “I am granting a temporary reprieve while we address Tennessee Department of Correction protocol. Further details will be released when available.”
Lee, a Republican, did not provide further details regarding the “oversight” which lead to the execution of the 72-year-old inmate being delayed. It is the first time Lee has intervened in a capital case, The Tennessean reported.
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