The execution of Christa Pike was halted after a botched lethal injection, leading Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to pause all remaining executions scheduled for 2026. One of those affected is Gary Wayne Sutton, who was set to be executed on December 3, 2026, for the 1992 murders of siblings Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam. Sutton has been on death row since his conviction in separate trials for the murders.
On February 21, 1992, Sutton, his uncle James Dellinger, and Griffin had a night of drinking that escalated into violence. Griffin was arrested for public intoxication and later bailed out by Sutton and Dellinger. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots shortly after, and Griffin was found dead from a shotgun wound. The following day, Branam was found dead in a burned vehicle. Dellinger, a co-defendant, was sentenced to death but died of natural causes before execution. Sutton maintains his innocence, and it is currently unclear when executions in Tennessee will resume.