Three states carry out executions on same day for first time since 2010

Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama each carried out a lethal-injection execution on Thursday, the first time three states have executed inmates on the same day since 2010. Oklahoma pronounced Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez dead at 10:13 a.m. CT for the 2003 murder of his common-law wife, while Tennessee executed Anthony Hines at 10:43 a.m. CT for the 1985 killing of a motel maid. Alabama completed its execution later in the day, pronouncing Jeremy Williams dead at 6:16 p.m. CT for the 2021 rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.

The last triple execution occurred in 2010, when Ohio, Texas and Louisiana each carried out a death sentence. "It’s very unusual," said Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. Observers note that simultaneous executions are typically coincidental rather than coordinated.

Data from the Death Penalty Information Center show that among the 94 executions recorded since the start of 2024, 64% involved victims who were women or girls. So far this year, five states have executed 22 inmates, and officials expect at least a dozen more before the end of the year. The total number of executions in the United States last year was 47, the highest annual count since 2009.

In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey issued a statement saying the execution of Jeremy Williams brought "justice" for the victim, Kamarie Holland. In Oklahoma, Attorney General Gentner Drummond expressed hope that Fisher’s family would find "some measure of peace" after the execution of Cuesta-Rodriguez. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declined to intervene in Hines’ execution, despite recent controversy over a botched execution in the state.

Family members of the victims in each case spoke to reporters after the executions, describing ongoing grief and, in some instances, a sense of closure through the carrying out of the death sentences.