Nicholas Sutton's execution: What it was like to witness

The Tennessean's Natalie Allison and the Knoxville News Sentinel's Travis Dorman speak about their experiences witnessing Nicholas Sutton's execution at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020.
Tennessee executed death row inmate Nicholas Todd Sutton in the electric chair Thursday night, marking the fifth time the state has used the method since 2018.
Sutton, 58, was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. CST, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
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[@RobCLynch]

4:50 for a description of the process.

[@Perfectpearl]

You get the death penalty for killing a fellow inmate but not for killing your grandmother and two additional people?! Gotta love America 🇺🇸

[@brucesmith9092]

This is my take on the situation. They bargained with him initially and took the death penalty off of the table if he would lead them to the other victims' bodies (other than his grandmother). Then they were given an opportunity to give him the death penalty that he so richly deserved when he committed another murder in prison. It was like the justice system was given another chance to execute him. So, it was justice delayed, but better late than never.

[@crosisofborg5524]

Obviously you lack the intelligence to comprehend how it works. Just sit back and let the adults take care of things.

[@charlesciminera5881]

It may seem illogical to us but it's not an easy thing for people who have a conscience to kill it's easy to believe in the death penalty as long as you don't have blood on your hands and others have to carry it out and all you have to do is sit there and look pretty

[@michaelmartin9090]

So he was executed for killing another criminal,,, NOT for bludgeoning his own grandmother and 2 other people? Shows how backward the death penalty truly is.

[@TheWuschelMUC]

In Germany a charge may be dropped if it does not influence the punishment. For example: a shoplifter robs a lady's handbag and murders the store detective. He is sentenced for murder, the charge for shoplifting or the robbed handbag will be dropped because he gets a life sentence anyway. US law probably is similar here.

[@randymarsh6253]

Gets life for killing his grandma and two others. Gets death for killing a chomo. I see who the great state of Tennessee really cares about.

[@ianfortuna9385]

Randy Marsh he had it coming

[@ianfortuna9385]

Randy Marsh both he and the chomo had it coming

[@felipes.5707]

is absolutely ilogic he is a hero for kill a chomo that probably kill more chidrens

[@ianfortuna9385]

Felipe F would it make you feel better if we told you that chomo had it coming as well?

[@lucvanessen1850]

Its the law. If an inmate who is serving a sentence of 15 years or more murders someone in prison, that is a capital crime and the inmate can receive a death sentence.

[@roundingitreal1893]

Fred Leuchter Jr, the man everyone hated regarding his denial of the holocaust, should actually get accommodation on behalf of the State of Tennessee for refurbishing and building the updated electric chair that has worked flawlessly - far better in application than lethal injection as of late and most humane method in its application.

[@abdulakbar7643]

I speak to Fred regularly. His intent with the TN electric chair was to make it as efficient as possible. 1750 Volts while an odd voltage, works nearly instantly and the re design by Fred insures negative and positive contact. Fred also make the injection machines as well. As well as a refurbish of a gas chamber in Arizona. He was ridiculed by THE GOVERNMENT for denying holocaust and even went as far as to go where they say it happened to collect evidence that it DID happen. (finding none) he was persecuted by the Jewish community since they were getting paid for years for the holocaust and you dont mess with a jews money. They did what they could to ruin this man but didnt succeed. As far as the chair being humane it kills in 1/240thof a second which is 24 times faster than the body can register pain. His true area of expertise lays with the rebuilding of gas chambers which he detests. Overall Fred is a good guy and grossly misunderstood.

[@roundingitreal1893]

@@abdulakbar7643 Well, you tell Mr. Leuchter on behalf of the few left on this planet (intelligent minded enough to understand fact from fiction) I sincerely appreciate his inventive efforts even though in the realm of such morbid accomplishment. With all that has been tragically happening throughout the world and especially in the United States penal system regarding capital punishment, it's amazing to think the sufficient measure of a man's ultimate demise is truly judged by bias members of the media and applied by such a corrupt bureaucratic.

[@StinkFingerr]

@@abdulakbar7643 Fred screwed up. Not on the Chair, but in the way he had his Holocaust samples tested. He wasn't up front to the Lab about what exactly he was doing, and as a result the analysis of his samples was not sensitive enough. The ruins of the Nazi Gas Chambers had been weathering for over 50 years.

[@violinistoftaupo]

I've never understood why Mr Leuchter was contracted by Tennessee to refurbish their electric chair given that he had no formal qualifications in electrical engineering. Even so, he explains the electrocution process well at the beginning of "The rise and fall of Dr Deatg."

[@raymondgarafano8604]

Killing his granny, and others so fkg depraved. how does one want to even think about it?

[@mattbod]

40 years ago as a teen. Being banged up in solitary can give you a lot of time to think. By all accounts he was rehabilitated. This execution was wrong

[@joanaisabelcolltruyol3090]

@@mattbod The fact is that one has to pay for something very very wrong done many years ago......People can change....and can repent about what they did.....Death penalty i wrong....

[@bfdidc6604]

The guy is an effing serial killer. I’m not even a big fan of the death penalty, but if we’re going to have it, this guy’s crimes warrant it, even if he learned to be a good boy in prison where he was under strict supervision.

[@raygarafano3633]

It really is hard to say if one has learned OR has seen the total horror of what they have done. That granny may have had a bit to go yet but was cheated out of living in a most heinous manner. I think he was old enough to know what he was doing, he just didn't give a damn and thought he'd never get the chair. Looks he was wrong about that too. If he had remorse, it was about being caught. Not for what he did though. I'm personally glad his blood was at 138 degrees. Having no remorse or empathy toward others is a large part of being EVIL. He burned by man's laws and is burning in hell now. Did he deserve to live longer,? So he was nice in prison. . . The judge saw right thru that plot. The guy hadda b shitting bricks at the thought of being fried by electrocution. That is why he was being nice. If he was really nice he would not've killed granny and others.

[@raygarafano3633]

@@joanaisabelcolltruyol3090 Hi Joana, I hear what ur saying but he killed a few times and most likely ppl.lots younger. They really got EFT over. They are dead forever. Why should this maggot deserve any sort of goodness?

[@prmath]

What did the innocent victims that he murdered go thru? Do NOT feel sorry for this animal……..

[@95KIPPIE]

And yet, we are supposed to be interested in what he had for his last meal??? Oh my god this is better than a comedy show

[@laurataylor8179]

Thank you

[@unclegus73]

Didn't describe the execution at all.. I could have read his last words on the DOC website.

[@bobhope3716]

These damn witnesses never talk about the actual execution. Just events leading up to it. Much respect to Tennessee for carrying out justice. Perhaps the deterrent value would be enhanced if executions we're done in public view.

[@michaelmartin9090]

They used to be public and that made no difference whatsoever like it doesn't make any in roads to stopping murder.

[@bobhope3716]

@@michaelmartin9090 Public executions seem to work well in other countries.

[@TheWuschelMUC]

@@bobhope3716 Can you name a civilized country that still has public executions?

[@cassidywhitson3835]

This is COMPLETELY FALSE. I am his granddaughter. His wife (my grandmother) and I visited him the weekend before the execution. These reporters need to get their shit straight.

[@missylou725]

What part is false?

[@Derail07]

Nice last meal. I would of had blueberry cobbler and vanilla ice cream. Wait I'm alive... I can get some this afternoon!

[@FK_TRUMP]

Would you choose the chair or lethal injection??

[@ianfortuna9385]

Greg Gomez I’d go with firing squad

[@ianfortuna9385]

Derail07 prepare to get hungry my friend. I’d order: 6oz ribeye steak (medium) swai fish with fried rice n vegetables, 20 wings (10 bbq, the other garlic Parmesan) a tub of cake batter ice cream a sprite, sweet tea and water.

[@kathyheitchue2022]

Cute🍿☕🥧

[@louisvaccaro5865]

ok derailo, we can accomodate, you, come to prison, we have a lovely redesigned chair, specialy designed just for you!, bon voyage.

[@queenejames8279]

How could you even bare witness to that ugh😷. People are sick?

[@e.l.norton]

It's their job. It's a legal requirement. It's all very clinical, very routine, and very fast. One reporter once commented after seeing an execution that he wasn't even sure anything had happened. People build it up in their minds as some overly dramatic, brutal event, when the reality is that it's very sterile. It's virtually a medical procedure. Occasionally, things have gone wrong. But, that's exceedingly rare. By and large it's a very controlled and clinical procedure. You'd probably be more uncomfortable watching someone's tooth pulled out or something.

[@dannydougin3925]

It's by law, like jury duty. Do your research before you assume and call names. If you are so against it why are you even here? What made you click on the link??

[@jojothetasmaniansassmonkey8866]

@@dannydougin3925 no individual is required to watch if they don't want to. you don't get a summons in the mail mandating that you be a witness

[@johncgibson4720]

Wow, Knoxville news earns my respect.

[@Ioulbrinaire]

This video is a shame. Death penalty is a shame. It never solved any problems. Just a grudge

[@Wisegoatface]

So, no description of how the execution played out? Just telling us background info we can google? So much for a media witness.

[@butchvegas3856]

They seem a bit old for a school paper. Their reporting may not reach that level.

[@josephdedominicis887]

I went through executions in which the quasi religious said I was being tried for god. Most of the victims were relatives and babies these lusty people were having made. If course, my family are the most convicted having made confederated courts to try me with according to the Cordells, Borings, and a number of the more fruitty cold case detectives. I don't believe it's appropriate to sequester people to collect statements and signatures and call courts facts. Tennessee is a horrid abomination and is being punished with or without jehovah's input.

[@williesnyder2899]

Must have a strict protocol to ensure that no one need think about killing a human being.

[@jojothetasmaniansassmonkey8866]

the death penalty ensures nothing. On average, states without the death penalty have lower murder rates than states that do have the death penalty.

[@tommythomason6187]

She is almost completely inaudible. She has no mic? Terrible production from those that are supposed to be Aces at such work.

[@pamavery9352]

Her blouse is too tight!!!!

[@silverhorder1969]

I have no doubt Jesus forgave him of his crime. However that does not negate the fact that even the Bible requires him to have his life taken, for the lives he took.

[@nesking3115]

Well actually the “an eye for eye “statement is an Old Testament mandate..Christ freed us from the Law ..

[@silverhorder1969]

@@nesking3115 Jesus himself said we are subject to the law. Therefore if the law states you shall not shed the blood of another person, and if you do your blood shall be shed by men. Then that is the law we are subject to. Jesus will still forgive but we are still bound by law and order..

[@charlesciminera5881]

No such commandment to punish people by death exits in new testament Bible takes no definite position on issue as a matter of fact redemption is considered Paramount in Christianity not retribution

[@anotherarmchairhistorian2831]

The Bible is one of the last sources we should go to for basing laws on.

[@dangelo1369]

@@silverhorder1969 Then why do we give the Romans grief when he was executed in accordance with Roman law?

[@willjensen7383]

Sicko finally gone?

[@drakecarter1780]

Been gone. For over a year now.

[@billtsirtsis7060]

Time to say goodbye!

[@ianfortuna9385]

Bill Tsirtsis lol reminds me of the cat in the hat “Dirty hoe, I’m sorry baby I love you”

[@kevinjones418]

And all involved will also be punished God is the only one who takes luves

[@RobertJamesChinneryH]

cry me a river...

[@j.a.r.o.d1340]

You both need to work on your speech.

[@OneWayJesus777-x2n]

Amen!! to Nichols sutton God forgave him he repented now he saved!!

[@TheWuschelMUC]

Are you sure he did _not_ end up in a cauldron of boiling oil?

[@tomslegacy712]

Last meal? Last words? A little bit of Hollywood, right? Showtime as usual. What a sick and medieval country.

[@alexdemon6142]

Watch the massacre lol