Tony Carruthers is still alive and remains on Tennessee's death row months after the state failed to execute him by lethal injection. Carruthers' name has resurfaced following the failed execution of Christa Pike, another Tennessee death row inmate whose lethal injection attempt was halted Wednesday, Sept. 30, after officials administered two doses of pentobarbital but failed to cause her death.

The two cases are not otherwise connected, but both have drawn attention because Tennessee has now had two failed lethal-injection attempts in 2026.

Carruthers, 57, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at Tennessee's Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on May 21, 2026. The execution was abandoned after medical personnel could not establish the required backup IV line. Gov. Bill Lee then granted him a one-year reprieve.

Carruthers remains in Tennessee state custody. Tennessee Department of Correction records and court filings identify Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville as his place of confinement. This is the same place where Christa Pike was serving her sentence.

His attorney, Maria DeLiberato, described seeing Carruthers "wincing and groaning" during the attempts and called the experience "horrible" to watch. Carruthers' lawyers later challenged Tennessee's execution procedures and the medical team involved.

Dr. Mark Fowler, the physician involved in Carruthers' failed execution attempt, also participated in Pike's execution. On Sept. 30, Tennessee halted Pike's execution after she received two doses of pentobarbital.

Pike's attorneys said she remained alive after the injections, with an emergency filing stating that she had a heartbeat and was audibly snoring. She was later taken to a hospital for treatment.

What Happens to Carruthers Next?

Pike's failed execution has prompted a new review of Tennessee's execution procedures. Gov. Lee said on Oct. 1 that he had ordered a "comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred" and halted the state's remaining scheduled execution for 2026.

Carruthers' next execution date, if one is set, will depend on subsequent court proceedings and state action.