Show Notes
Blount County Chief Detective Dale Gourley speaks to the media about Tommy Griffin's death and Connie Branam's disappearance as searchers comb Sevier County for the missing woman. Gary Sutton, reeling from the death of his best friend, talks to police twice, not realizing that the walls are closing in around him.
Also in this episode - updates from last week's failed execution of Tony Carruthers and the silence from the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in Gary's intellectual disability hearing. ☕Buy Beth a Coffee ⏳ Timeline of Events at the Time of Death Podcast Website 🌍 Google Map of Places of Note - Including the changes to Alcoa Highway
Relevant Articles WBIR: Gary Sutton supporters hold press conference WVLT: Death row inmate supporters rally at Blount County Courthouse after failed execution of Tony Carruthers WATE: Supporters of Gary Sutton speak after Tony Carruthers's botched execution Action News 5: ACLU calls on Bill Lee to halt executions pending resolution of lawsuit Stay connected with Beth's reporting and follow along as the stories unfold. Follow us on your favorite platform. Beth Braden: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok Time of Death Podcast: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok Find us at www.timeofdeathpod.com
More from Time of Death
In some ways, the Blount County trial was identical to the first, right down to the order in which the state called its witnesses, but one of the waitresses from Howie's Hideaway had a brand new detail to her testimony. 🗳️ Where to vote early in Tennessee 🔍 2022 Review of Tennessee's Lethal Injection Protocol
This week, Nashville, Tennessee's Department of Emergency Communications released a series of phone calls that routed through the DEC on the night of September 30, 2026 — the same night that Christa Gail Pike was scheduled to be executed for the 1995 homicide of Colleen Slemmer. Pike, however, survived. Her botched execution paved the way for Gary Wayne Sutton's December 3, 2026, execution to be paused while Gov. Bill Lee called for another review of the state's lethal injection protocol. In this special bonus episode of Time of Death, Beth Braden walks you through the timeline of the phone calls as dispatchers and emergency personnel tried to figure out if the initial 911 call made from the prison was legitimate.
Gary's formal reprieve was filed, and he has at least a year before the Tennessee Supreme Court can set a new execution date. Christa Pike has woken up after her botched September 30 execution. And finally, Beth gets back to discussing the leadup to the 1996 Blount County trial. 🔍 2022 Review of Tennessee's Lethal Injection Protocol 📤 LAWYERS: Send Beth an Email 👩🏾⚖️ Judge orders that Christa Pike execution evidence be preserved 📰 Tennessee again taps former US Attorney to review execution protocol 📰 2023: Frank Strada Appointed to Oversee TDOC 🏜️ A brief history of the death penalty in Arizona 📄 Sevier County Case Files ⏳ Timeline of Events at the Time of Death Podcast Website 🌍 Google Map of Places of Note ⚖️ Justice for Gary Website ☕Buy Beth a Coffee Stay connected with Beth's reporting and follow along as the stories unfold. Follow us on your favorite platform. Beth Braden: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok Time of Death Podcast: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok Find us at www.timeofdeathpod.com
Things went terribly, terribly awry when the state of Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Gail Pike on September 30. It was so bad that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee cancelled Gary Wayne Sutton's Dec. 3 execution, but there is still so much work to do. 🗣️ Hear from Christa Pike's Attorneys
Gary Wayne Sutton's attorneys have formally asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to stay his execution pending the outcome of his intellectual disability claim. Plus, Beth looks at the time period between the Sevier County conviction and the Blount County Trial. ALSO - The Sevier County case files and transcripts are now available on Beth's website. Episode Links 📁 Sevier County Case Files 📜 Gary Sutton's Motion for a Stay of Execution 🎙️ Beth appears on Cup of Justice Podcast 🗞️ 'I'm her voice' | Mother prepares for the execution of her daughter's convicted murderer, 31 years later ⚖️ Thomas Clardy Story at the Tennessee Innocence Project ⏳ Timeline of Events at the Time of Death Podcast Website 🌍 Google Map of Places of Note ⚖️ Justice for Gary Website ☕Buy Beth a Coffee Stay connected with Beth's reporting and follow along as the stories unfold. Follow us on your favorite platform. Beth Braden: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok Time of Death Podcast: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | TikTok Find us at www.timeofdeathpod.com