Tennessee has halted its remaining execution for 2026 after Christa Pike survived two doses of the lethal-injection drug pentobarbital, putting Gary Wayne Sutton’s scheduled December 3 execution on hold.
Gov. Bill Lee announced Wednesday that Tennessee would not carry out Sutton’s execution this year and ordered a “comprehensive, third-party review” of Pike’s execution attempt.
Lee said carrying out a death sentence is one of the state’s most serious responsibilities and must be done in a manner that is “legal and constitutional” as well as effective.
Deep Dive
What led to the suspension of Gary Wayne Sutton's execution in Tennessee?
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"Carrying out a lawfully imposed sentence is among the State's most serious responsibilities, and the people of Tennessee expect it to be done in a manner that is not only legal and constitutional, but is effective," Lee said in a statement September
Sutton had been scheduled to be executed on December 3 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. His execution date was set by the Tennessee Supreme Court in September 2025.
What happens to Gary Sutton now?
Sutton will remain on Tennessee’s death row and will not be executed on December 3 under the schedule announced before Lee’s decision.
The governor’s decision follows a chaotic execution attempt involving Pike, Tennessee’s only woman on death row. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital on September 30 but remained alive, according to her attorneys. She was later taken to an off-site medical facility.
{{/usCountry}}The governor’s decision follows a chaotic execution attempt involving Pike, Tennessee’s only woman on death row. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital on September 30 but remained alive, according to her attorneys. She was later taken to an off-site medical facility.
{{/usCountry}}The Tennessee Department of Correction said it followed the state’s established execution protocol during the attempt. The department has said its lethal-injection protocol does not allow additional procedures beyond those carried out during the execution.
Why was Sutton scheduled for execution?
Sutton was sentenced to death in connection with the 1992 killing of Tommy Griffin in Blount County, Tennessee. He was also convicted in connection with the killing of Griffin’s sister, Connie Branam, in Sevier County.
Sutton’s uncle and co-defendant, James Dellinger, was also sentenced to death. Dellinger died of natural causes on Tennessee’s death row in 2023, according to the case history cited in court records and reporting.
Sutton’s execution date had previously been affected by Tennessee’s broader pause in executions and review of its lethal-injection procedures. The Tennessee Supreme Court later reset his execution for December 3, 2026.
What happens next?
The immediate next step is the third-party review ordered by Lee following Pike’s failed execution.
The review could examine what happened during the execution attempt and whether changes are needed to Tennessee’s execution procedures. The state has already faced scrutiny over its lethal-injection process following the Carruthers execution attempt earlier this year. The Death Penalty Information Center reported that Tennessee lawmakers had previously called for an independent review of the failed Carruthers execution.
For Sutton, the December 3 execution date will no longer proceed as scheduled. The state has not announced a new execution date for him.