NASHVILLE — Anthony Darrell Hines was executed by lethal injection at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on Thursday morning for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins, corrections officials and court records show.
Execution details and final moments
Hines was brought to the execution chamber and put to death at approximately 10 a.m., according to statements from the Tennessee Department of Correction and witnesses. He was declared dead at 10:43 a.m.. A witness said Hines offered a final message to his family, saying, "Tell my son I love him."
Hines had sought clemency and various reprieves in the days leading up to the execution. His attorneys and supporters argued against carrying out the sentence amid heightened concerns about the state's lethal-injection procedures.
Victim, conviction and background
Hines was convicted for the 1985 rape and murder of Jenkins, who was working as a maid at a Kingston Springs motel when she was attacked. The crime drew long-standing attention in the community and was part of the case that placed Hines on Tennessee's death row.
Responses from family, counsel and officials
Katherine Dix, an attorney for Hines, released a statement after the execution expressing grief for the victim’s family and condemning the manner of Hines’ death. "I also grieve the violence the State of Tennessee inflicted on us all today," Dix said. She described the execution as a killing by poisoning and urged people not to become "numb or indifferent to the cruelty."
"I’d like to start by saying that I grieve for the family of Catherine Jean Jenkins. May God be with you," Dix said.
Members of Jenkins’ family were present and spoke after the execution. Dennis Jenkins, the victim’s son, addressed defense attorneys in the room, referencing the brutality of the 1985 crime. His remarks underscored the enduring pain felt by the victim’s relatives decades after the murder.
Context: scrutiny of Tennessee's lethal-injection protocol
The execution comes amid increased scrutiny of Tennessee’s execution procedures. State protocols were criticized following the execution of Byron Black in August 2025 and the notably troubled injection of Tony Carruthers in May 2026. Those events prompted legal challenges and public debate over the constitutionality and humanity of the state’s method for administering the death penalty.
Officials in corrections and state government have faced pressure to review and justify the drugs and procedures used in lethal injections. Advocates against capital punishment and some legal observers have argued the recent cases demonstrate the risk of cruel and unusual punishment; supporters of the death penalty have emphasized the need for finality in long-standing sentences for particularly violent crimes.
Timeline and key facts
| Event | Time / Year |
|---|---|
| Murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins | 1985 |
| Hines execution carried out | Approx. 10:00 a.m.; declared dead 10:43 a.m. |
| Recent troubled executions prompting scrutiny | Aug. 2025 (Byron Black); May 2026 (Tony Carruthers) |
- Location: Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, Nashville
- Method: Lethal injection
- Issues raised: State protocol scrutiny, clemency requests denied
The execution adds to an ongoing statewide conversation about capital punishment in Tennessee — its administration, oversight and the legal avenues available to those on death row. Local officials have not announced any immediate policy changes following the execution, and legal filings related to Hines’ final appeals and clemency requests were exhausted prior to Thursday's procedure.
Coverage will continue as additional statements and official records are released by the Tennessee Department of Correction, Hines’ legal team and the Jenkins family.
