A Tennessee death row inmate begged his family stay away as his execution draws near.
Oscar Franklin Smith, 75, who murdered his estranged wife and her two teenage sons, is set to be executed Thursday. The Associated Press reported that Smith told his family not to come and witness the execution because "they don't need to see anything like that."
Smith was set to die three years ago but was saved by a last-minute reprieve issued by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, CNN reported. Smith's execution was stopped not because of an issue with his case or for humanity reasons but rather due to concerns with the lethal injection drugs. Thursday the state is expected to proceed with Smith's execution with new protocols.
No such last-minute actions are expected this time, despite the fact that Smith has sued the state over the new protocols. The trial on that lawsuit isn't set to happen until after Smith is executed, meaning his only chance is if Lee again stops the execution. On Tuesday, Lee indicated he had no intention of intervening, the AP reported.
The Associated Press reported that despite Smith's request, some of his relatives do plan to witness his execution by lethal injection.
Smith was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of his estranged wife, Judith Robirds Smith, 35, and her two sons, 13-year-old Jason Burnett and 16-year-old Chad Burnett, USA TODAY reported.
"The boys were brutalized," retired Metro Nashville Police Department Detective Pat Postiglione told The Tennessean, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2022. "True evil exists."
