Nashville, TN — Harold Wayne Nichols, a Tennessee death row inmate, has declined to select between the electric chair and lethal injection for his scheduled December 11 execution, meaning the state will proceed with lethal injection by default, according to correction officials.
Nichols, now in his 60s, was sentenced to death in 1990 after being convicted of raping and murdering 21-year-old Karen Pulley, a Chattanooga State University student, two years earlier.
Lethal Injection Will Be Used by Default
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Correction, Dorinda Carter, confirmed that Nichols still has two weeks to change his decision, though he made no indication that he intends to do so.
“He was scheduled to be executed in 2020 and had chosen the electric chair,” Carter said in an email, “but that execution was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Tennessee law allows inmates convicted before January 1999 to choose electrocution instead of lethal injection, though the electric chair has been used only five times in the past decade — all in Tennessee.
According to Yahoo News, Nichols’ decision follows years of legal and procedural complications surrounding the state’s execution methods.
Previous Delays and Changes in Execution Protocol
Nichols’ execution was initially halted in 2020 due to pandemic-related concerns and then delayed again in 2022 when Gov. Bill Lee paused all executions to review the state’s lethal injection procedures.
At that time, Tennessee’s protocol involved three drugs administered in series, a process that defense attorneys argued was “riddled with errors.” An independent review later found that none of the drugs prepared for executions since 2018 had been properly tested.
In response, Tennessee issued a new execution protocol in December 2023, which relies on a single drug — pentobarbital. Attorneys representing several death row inmates have since filed lawsuits challenging the updated process, citing concerns about drug sourcing and humane administration. A trial on the issue is scheduled for April 2026.
“The new one-drug protocol does not eliminate the risk of improper testing or contamination,” defense attorneys said in court filings. “Transparency remains limited, and inmates’ constitutional protections are at stake.”
Nichols’ Background and Confession
Nichols confessed to the rape and murder of Pulley as well as several other sexual assaults in the Chattanooga area. At trial, he expressed remorse but admitted that he might have continued committing violent acts had he not been arrested.
“I’m sorry for what I did,” Nichols said during testimony. “But if I hadn’t been caught, I don’t think I would have stopped.”
Prosecutors described Nichols as a serial predator, noting that his attacks on women were marked by severe violence and premeditation.
Broader Context on Tennessee’s Death Penalty
Tennessee remains one of the few states that still allows inmates to choose electrocution as an execution method. While some states have moved toward abolishing capital punishment or relying solely on lethal injection, Tennessee’s practice of maintaining both methods has faced legal challenges and ethical scrutiny.
Advocates against the death penalty argue that the electric chair is outdated and inhumane, while others believe the lethal injection process lacks transparency and carries its own moral and procedural issues.
As of now, Nichols’ execution remains set for December 11, pending any changes to his selection or further court interventions.
What are your thoughts on Tennessee’s dual execution methods and the ongoing debate over capital punishment? Share your views in the comments below.
