The state executed Black after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declined requests from attorneys, advocacy groups and even some Republicans to intervene.

Byron Black, a death row inmate with dementia and multiple organ failure, was executed by lethal injection despite having an active heart device his attorneys argued could cause extreme pain. Witnesses say he appeared to suffer during the procedure,

Byron Black, a death row inmate convicted of killing his girlfriend and her two young daughters, is scheduled to be executed this morning.