18. BREAKING NEWS: A Botched Execution + Gary's Reprieve

Time and trauma warps memories, and that leads to some shifting testimony between what some of the witnesses said in Blount County in 1996 versus what they said in Sevier County in 1992. Also, a closer look at the state's timeline proves impossible as Gary and James couldn't have been in two places at once several different times on February 21, 1992. ☕Buy Beth a Coffee 🗳️ Where to vote early in Tennessee 📄 Sevier County Case Files ⏳ Timeline of Events at the Time of Death Podcast Website 🌍 Google Map of Places of Note ⚖️ Justice for Gary Website

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

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