The sister of Tony Carruthers, victim of a botched state execution in May, filed a formal complaint Wednesday alleging the doctor overseeing the lethal injection “violated his medical ethics in multiple ways.”
Carruthers was given a one-year reprieve from his execution after the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) team could not find an appropriate vein for the process.
Since then clergy, advocates and members of the Tennessee GOP have urged Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to halt executions in the state for a review. Lee said executions will go forward. Darrel Hines is slated to be executed by the state next month.
This week, Carruthers’ sister Tonya Hervey filed a complaint with the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) against the doctor who participated in the attempted execution. Hervey questioned the qualifications of Dr. Mark Fowler. She said the doctor punctured Carruthers in places with no anesthesia, injected him with a substance without knowing if he was allergic to it or not, and that the execution caused a brain stroke.
Hervey’s complaint gives graphic details about the execution, which we will print in full below.
That complaint will be reviewed by the TDOH. If evidence of a violation is found, Fowler could face a warning or formal disciplinary charges with probation, suspension, a revocation of his medical license, fines, and more.
Here is Hervey’s complaint in full:
Dr. Mark Fowler participated in the attempted execution of Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026.
About 40 minutes into the execution attempt, the medical team was still having difficulty setting the IV lines. At that point, Dr. Fowler came into the execution chamber, announced himself, and stated that he was a doctor.
He took over the search for venous access, directing corrections personnel to take off Mr. Carruthers’ socks to search for veins in his feet.
He asked if anyone in the room was qualified to assess jugular access, and one of the medical team members said yes. Dr. Fowler watched as this person used a vein finder to assess Mr. Carruthers’ jugular vein. That team member stated that jugular access was not advisable.
Dr. Fowler then announced that he was going to set a central line despite the team member’s advice. He had previously admitted in a deposition that he had not set a central line in well over a decade and had no hospital privileges to do so.
Mr. Carruthers’ lawyer objected to his lack of qualifications, and Dr. Fowler snapped back at the lawyer that he was qualified to set the line.
He then asked if the “patient” was allergic to lidocaine. No one on the room knew the answer and Dr. Fowler injected the lidocaine anyway.
After five minutes elapsed, Dr. Fowler tested the injection site. He asked Mr. Carruthers if he could feel the poke from the central line needle and Mr. Carruthers said that he could feel it. Mr. Carruthers said “yes.”
Dr. Fowler inserted the needle/scalpel anyway. Mr. Carruthers moaned in pain and began to bleed. Dr. Fowler punctured/stabbed him at least one more time, attempting to set the line, all while Mr. Carruthers was wide awake and groaned in agony.
After multiple minutes, Dr. Fowler admitted he could not set a central line. Instead of abandoning the effort to stop trying to execute Mr. Carruthers, Dr. Fowler then searched for a vein in Mr. Carruthers’ shoulder. He claimed to have achieved venous access in the shoulder; however, blood was visibly filling the line.
At that point, the governor’s office called off the execution, approximately 90 minutes after the process began.
Dr. Fowler violated his medical ethics in multiple ways, including but not limited to: a) participating in the execution at all, which is against the [Hippocratic Oath], b) injecting lidocaine into someone without determining if there was an allergy, c) attempting to set a central line when not qualified to do so, d) beginning a central line despite knowing Mr. Carruthers was not properly anesthetized, e) overseeing and continuing to authorize a search for venous access over nearly an hour while Mr. Carruthers was in visible agony and distress.
Moreover, we believe our brother suffered a brain stroke, has endured extreme pain, and has paralysis of the entire right side of his body.
He can no longer utilize his right hand and is dragging the entire right leg to move. He struggles with balance to walk upright; his personality and cognitive functions have decreased significantly.
He was stabbed wide open in his chest while awake and could feel the excruciating pain during the entire procedure!
Let us not forget that Tony Von Carruthers has proclaimed his innocence from the beginning of this crime!
