Imagine facing your final moments in excruciating pain, all while strapped to a gurney, unsure if the very device meant to keep your heart beating could turn against you. That was the grim reality for Byron Black, a 69-year-old inmate executed in Tennessee, raising serious questions about humanity and ethics in the justice system.

Byron Black was executed despite significant uncertainty surrounding his implanted defibrillator. Witnesses reported that shortly after the lethal injection began, Black expressed that he was experiencing severe pain. He uttered the words, "Oh, it’s hurting so bad," as he lay restrained, struggling against the inevitable. The execution took place on the morning of August 5, 2025, at 10:43 a.m., just ten minutes after the process commenced.

As he battled through his final moments, Black, who suffered from multiple debilitating health conditions, was unable to provide any last words beyond a quiet, “No sir,” when asked if he had anything to say. Witnesses, including seven media personnel, noted his discomfort as he lifted his head off the gurney multiple times, sighing heavily. A spiritual advisor present offered him comfort, insisting, “Just listen to my voice,” as Black continued to suffer.

Behind the scenes, a significant legal battle had unfolded regarding the defibrillator. Initially, a lower court had ruled that it must be deactivated to prevent any potentially agonizing shocks. Yet, Tennessee’s Supreme Court overturned that decision, allowing the execution to proceed as scheduled. The state’s argument was that the lethal injection would not trigger the device, thus posing no risk to Black’s comfort, a claim that many now question.

In the background loomed the tragic history of Black's case. He had been convicted of the 1988 murders of his girlfriend Angela Clay and her two young daughters, crimes committed during a fit of jealousy. His actions that day left irreversible scars on the victims’ families, and with the execution, Angela Clay’s sister stated that Black was now facing “a higher power.”

However, Black’s defense team vehemently criticized the execution, calling it a disgraceful act against a man they described as gentle and intellectually disabled. Kelley Henry, Black’s attorney, made it clear that they would be examining autopsy results and EKG data to fully understand the events of the execution. Furthermore, she expressed deep concern over Black's ability to articulate his pain, which contradicted claims that the lethal injection would swiftly induce unconsciousness.

This execution marked Tennessee's second since a five-year hiatus caused by the pandemic and operational missteps. The numbers are alarming, with 28 executions carried out in the U.S. this year, exceeding figures from previous years and raising eyebrows nationwide.

Black’s medical condition, including an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, highlighted the ethical dilemmas surrounding executions. Medical professionals typically regard participation in such acts as a violation of healthcare ethics, yet here lies a life extinguished amid moral ambiguity.

The complexities of Black's case are further underscored by his ongoing legal battles regarding claims of intellectual disability. His legal team had previously sought new hearings, arguing that he exhibited signs of this condition since childhood, thus rendering him constitutionally exempt from execution. However, a judge denied a request for a new hearing based on past determinations.

In the wake of Black's execution, his story serves not just as a reminder of the brutal realities of capital punishment but also as a beacon for deeper discussions about justice, mercy, and what it means to truly be humane.