NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI) – Tennessee carried out the execution of death row inmate Darrell Hines on Thursday, marking the state’s first completed execution since an attempted lethal injection in May was halted because officials were unable to establish IV access.
Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada announced that Hines was executed by lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.
According to Strada, Hines was pronounced dead at 11:43 a.m. Eastern Time.
Hines’ final words were brief.
“Tell my son, hello.”
Hines had been sentenced to death for the 1985 murder of motel employee Catherine Jean Jenkins, a crime that her family has spent more than four decades seeking justice for.
Following the execution, family members of Jenkins spoke publicly about the impact of her death and the years of grief that followed.
Son Describes Brutal Attack
Dennis Jenkins, the son of Catherine Jenkins, recounted details of the attack that claimed his mother’s life.
According to Jenkins, Hines attacked his mother while she attempted to defend herself with a plastic spray bottle. He said she was stabbed 13 times and suffered extensive defensive wounds while fighting for her life.
Jenkins expressed gratitude that the execution was carried out and thanked Tennessee’s court system and Governor Bill Lee for declining to intervene.
“Myself and my family would like to personally thank Governor Bill Lee for not intervening in this execution case,” Jenkins said.
He also said he hoped Hines experienced suffering, arguing it was insignificant compared to what his mother endured during the attack.
Daughter Says Family Can Finally Begin Healing
Melissa Jenkins, the victim’s daughter, thanked investigators, prosecutors and others involved in bringing the case to its conclusion.
She described the lasting impact her mother’s death had on generations of family members.
“For four decades, our family has endured the unimaginable pain and grief of her death,” she said.
Melissa Jenkins said the family was robbed of years of memories and experiences with her mother, adding that the loss created a void that never disappeared.
While acknowledging that the execution does not bring her mother back, she said it does provide a sense of justice.
“While today does not bring closure, nor does it bring my mother back, it does finally bring justice.”
She said the family can now begin the process of moving forward after spending more than 40 years with the case hanging over their lives.
Grandson Reflects on Lost Decades
Garrett Jenkins, Catherine Jenkins’ grandson, said he did not view the day as a celebration.
Instead, he called it an opportunity for the family to finally close a painful chapter.
“Today is not necessarily a day that I would find a cause for celebration, but instead just a hope for a chance for my family that’s been dealing with this for over the last 40 years to finally close a chapter to this book.”
He added that he wished his grandmother could have had the additional decades of life that were taken from her.
First Execution Since Failed Attempt
The execution came after a series of last-minute legal challenges by Hines’ attorneys, including filings related to his health and concerns about how prison staff would position his body during the lethal injection process after he suffered strokes.
Gov. Bill Lee denied a request for clemency earlier this week, allowing the execution to proceed.
The execution is Tennessee’s first since the state halted the attempted execution of inmate Tony Carruthers in May when officials were unable to establish the required IV access.
With Thursday’s execution completed, the decades-long case surrounding the murder of Catherine Jenkins has reached its legal conclusion while her family says their focus now shifts toward healing and preserving her memory.
