The Tennessee Supreme Court today set two execution dates. The Court set an execution date of April 21, 2022, for Oscar Franklin Smith, convicted of the murder of three family members in Nashville in 1989. The Court originally set the execution for June 4, 2020. Upon motions of Mr. Smith, the Court reset the execution for February 4, 2021, and ultimately stayed the execution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s order, which can be read here, lifts the stay. The Court also set an execution date of June 9, 2022, for Harold Wayne Nichols, convicted of rape and murder in Chattanooga in 1988. The Court originally set the execution for August 4, 2020. On July 17, 2020, Governor Bill Lee issued an executive reprieve from the execution that expired by its own terms on December 31, 2020.View the Order here.
