Three men are scheduled to be executed on the same day in the United States, a development occurring as public and jury support for the death penalty continues to decline nationwide. This coincides with a period where the number of death sentences issued by juries has sharply decreased from its peak in the 1990s.
In Tennessee, Anthony Darrell Hines, 66, is slated for execution on Thursday. Hines has maintained his innocence for four years and is bedridden. His scheduled execution follows the same protocol that reportedly failed twelve weeks prior in the case of Tony Von Carruthers.
Alabama is preparing for what could be its first execution of 2026, with Jeremy Williams scheduled to die by lethal injection. Williams was convicted in 2021 for the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl. He has dismissed his attorneys and volunteered to be put to death. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has indicated she does not plan to grant clemency.
In Oklahoma, septuagenarian Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez is also scheduled to die by lethal injection on Thursday. Cuesta-Rodriguez has requested no clemency and no mercy for the 2003 murder of a woman. Experts suggest his age heightens the risk of a botched execution.
These planned executions are taking place against a backdrop of steadily decreasing support for capital punishment. A recent Gallup poll indicates that only 52% of Americans consider the death penalty morally acceptable, the lowest figure recorded since the 1970s. While a majority still favors the death penalty, this trend signifies a shift in public opinion.
This weakening support is further reflected in the declining number of death sentences handed down by juries. In the 1990s, American juries issued upwards of 300 death sentences annually. By 2025, that number had fallen to just 23. This suggests that ordinary citizens, serving on juries, are increasingly choosing alternatives to capital punishment when determining sentences for severe crimes.
Maya Foa, CEO of Reprieve US, an international organization opposing the death penalty, described it as the opposite of an easy political fix, highlighting the complexity and controversy surrounding the practice.