United States — Man sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of his wife and her two sons was executed in Tennessee on Thursday, according to the state’s Department of Correction.
Smith, 75, is to be put to death by lethal injection on May 22, 2025, for the 1989 shooting and stabbing murders of his estranged wife, Judy Smith, and her two sons, Chad and Jason Burnett.| AFP
Oscar Smith, 75, was the third death row inmate to be executed in the United States this week, all of which were carried out by lethal injection.
Smith was pronounced dead at 10:47 am local time (1547 GMT) at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee.
He was convicted of fatally shooting and stabbing his estranged wife, Judy Smith, and her two sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, in 1989.
Mike Robirds and Terri Osborne, Judy’s siblings, said in a statement that the pain of losing their sister and nephews “is something we will continue to carry.”
“Through our heartbreak, we are reminded of the devastating consequences of domestic violence,” the statement said.
“This tragedy is not only a personal loss — it is part of a much larger issue that affects countless families across our society.”
There have been 19 executions in the United States this year: 15 by lethal injection, two by firing squad and two using nitrogen gas.
The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania have moratoriums in place.
President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and called on his first day in office for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”
Margret Oshinowo | May 22, 2025
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