www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-22 12:41:00
Tennessee executed Oscar Franklin Smith Thursday morning, marking the state’s first execution in five years. Smith, 75, was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m. by lethal injection of pentobarbital. He was convicted of the 1989 murders of his wife, Judy Robirds Smith, and her two sons in Nashville. Governor Bill Lee had placed a moratorium on executions in 2022 to review protocols but did not intervene this time. Family members of Judy Robirds emphasized the lasting pain and highlighted the broader issue of domestic violence, hoping their story raises awareness of its warning signs and impact on families.
(The Center Square) – Tennessee convicted murderer Oscar Franklin Smith was executed Thursday morning, the first execution by the state in five years.
Smith was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m., according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
The execution was carried out using the single drug pentobarbital. Gov. Bill Lee placed a moratorium on executions in 2022 so the state could review its procedures.
The Department of Corrections announced the new protocol in December. The Tennessee Supreme Court set Smith’s execution date in March.
Lee did not intervene in Smith’s execution. He issued a reprieve for Smith in 2022, just moments before Smith was scheduled to die, and then ordered the moratorium while the state studied its execution protocols.
At 75, Smith was Tennessee’s oldest death row inmate. He was convicted in the 1989 murder of his wife, Judy Robirds Smith, 35, and her sons, 16-year-old Chad Burnett and 13-year-old Jason Burnett. The murders happened in Nashville.
Judy Robirds’ brother and sister said in a statement provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction that the pain of losing them is something they continue to carry.
“Through our heartbreak, we are reminded of the devastating consequences of domestic violence,” said Mike Robirds and Terrie Osborne. “This tragedy is not only a personal loss, it is part of a much larger issue that affects countless families across our society. We hope that sharing our story helps others recognize the warning signs and dangers involved, especially for the children.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily provides a straightforward factual account of the execution of Oscar Franklin Smith in Tennessee, including relevant details such as the timeline, legal and procedural context, and statements from family members. It does not use emotionally charged or persuasive language to advocate for or against the death penalty or any particular political stance. Instead, it reports on events and viewpoints from multiple perspectives (the state, the governor, and the victim’s family) in a balanced manner without promoting a specific ideological viewpoint. This adherence to factual reporting and balanced presentation suggests a centrist, neutral political bias in the article’s content.
At a Murfreesboro town hall, ACLU-TN leaders Stella Yarbrough and Claire Gardner discussed their lawsuit against Rutherford County’s ban on over 145 books addressing sexuality and race in school libraries. The ACLU argues these bans violate the First Amendment’s protections of free speech and the right to receive information. The lawsuit, representing three local families and PEN America, highlights that popular titles like Beloved have been removed without public vote, relying on a conservative group’s rating system. Community support and a clear public record of the school board’s actions strengthen the case, with the ACLU seeking to restore the banned books.
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