Three Executions Scheduled for Thursday as US Death Penalty See Surge
On Thursday, three men convicted of murder in Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma—Anthony Darrell Hines, 66; Jeremy Williams, 41; and Carlos Cuesta‑Rodriguez, 71—are slated for execution. The executions come alongside a record‑high number of death penalties granted across the United States in 2025, signaling a sharp rise in capital punishment.
Data released by the Death Penalty Information Center shows 47 executions in 2025, a jump from 25 in 2024. About 40 % of those deaths occurred in Florida, more than any other state. Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, has championed legislative changes that lower the threshold for death‑penalty sentencing and expand the list of capital crimes.
At the federal level, former President Donald Trump’s 2019 executive order reinstated the death penalty after a 19‑year moratorium. Trump also directed the Department of Justice to expand execution methods, reintroduce lethal injection and consider alternatives such as a firing squad. While no federal executions have taken place since that order, the policy shift has influenced state practices.
The case of Anthony Hines illustrates ongoing procedural challenges. He has insisted on his innocence for years, yet a failed execution attempt in Tennessee last winter highlighted potential issues with lethal‑injection protocols. Similar concerns arise for Williams, who voluntarily surrendered to the state’s execution schedule, and for Cuesta‑Rodriguez, whose age adds risk of a botched death sentence.
Execution methodology has become a point of contention. Pharmaceutical companies have curtailed supply of drugs for lethal injection, leading some states—most notably South Carolina—to adopt firing squads. The National Center for Policy Analysis estimates that roughly 3 % of U.S. executions between 1890 and 2010 were botched, a figure that spiked to over one‑third in 2022.
Public sentiment over the death penalty has weakened. A recent Gallup survey reports only 52 % of Americans view it as morally acceptable, the lowest since the 1970s. Moreover, the number of death sentences issued by juries has plummeted—from over 300 in the 1990s to just 23 in 2025—signaling a shift in community judgment.
Critics say the death penalty is a costly, inhumane punishment that often targets marginalized groups. Supporters counter that capital punishment deters violent crime and delivers justice for victims’ families. Florida’s top prosecutor, James Uthmeier, has declared the death penalty the “ultimate form of punishment” for grave offenders, while prosecutors assert that the decision remains in the hands of juries.
Federal and state authorities have remained committed to proceeding with the Thursday executions. Whether the planned inmates will be executed on schedule—or whether last‑minute clemency or procedural complications arise—remains to be seen. The episode underscores the complex interplay of law, politics, and public ethics that continues to shape the U.S. death‑penalty system.
