ACLU Supporter, thanks to the advocacy of ACLU supporters like you, Tony Carruthers was granted a yearlong reprieve yesterday after surviving a torturous execution attempt. This gives us time to prove what Tony has been saying for 30 years: that he did not commit this crime.

Yesterday, I witnessed Tennessee torture Tony Carruthers for over an hour, trying and failing to find an IV line for the lethal drugs they intended to use to execute him.

But thanks to you, the governor knew that the country was watching Tennessee.

For months, we've been pressuring the governor to step in because this execution attempt should have never happened in the first place.

Tony was convicted on false, paid testimony without any physical evidence. But the state has so far refused to simply test the unmatched forensic evidence which could prove him innocent.

We went to court demanding that the state fully test neglected forensic evidence. We delivered over 130,000 signatures right to the governor's office alongside exonerees who know firsthand what it is like to be convicted of a crime you didn't commit. And when the governor still refused to intervene, we went to the Supreme Court – while people like you filled his voicemail box and email with demands to save Tony's life.

The governor finally stepped in to issue a reprieve following the botched attempt yesterday – delaying Tony's execution not just for a day or a week, but for a full year.

This gives us a year to keep pressuring the state to test the evidence. A year to stop an irreversible miscarriage of justice. A year to save Tony's life.

I'll be in touch with next steps soon, but I wanted to thank you for everything you've done to fight for Tony. Undeniably, your advocacy and the national attention supporters like you brought to this case saved Tony's life yesterday. We're so grateful for everything you do.

Thank you for fighting for justice,

Maria DeLiberato
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Senior Counsel, ACLU Capital Punishment Project