Tennessee executes Harold Nichols for 1988 murder
Tennessee executed Harold Wayne Nichols, 64, by lethal injection in Nashville on Thursday for the 1988 rape and murder of 20-year-old Chattanooga State student Karen Pulley, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to stay the execution. The state used its new single‑drug pentobarbital protocol, which is being challenged in court; Nichols’ lawyers recently won a ruling for records from two prior executions under the new method, which the state says it will appeal.
📌 Key Facts
- Execution carried out by lethal injection using pentobarbital on Dec. 11, 2025 in Nashville.
- Nichols pleaded guilty to killing Karen Pulley and confessed to additional rapes in Chattanooga.
- U.S. Supreme Court declined to issue a stay on Thursday; clemency bid was unsuccessful.
📊 Relevant Data
In Tennessee, Black individuals comprise 49% of the death row population (21 out of 43 inmates), while making up only 16% of the state's overall population; White individuals comprise 49% of death row but 73% of the population.
Death Row Facts — Tennessee Department of Correction
In Tennessee, 74% of death sentences imposed since 1972 have involved White victims, while only 40% of homicide victims are White.
Tennessee’s death penalty is back — Tennessee Lookout
In 2023, Black individuals accounted for 42% of known murder offenders in the United States, while comprising 13% of the population.
Number of murder offenders 2023, by race — Statista