Three men were executed in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama on Thursday, August 13, marking the first time since 2010 that three inmates were put to death in the United States on the same day. Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, Anthony Darrell Hines and Jeremy Williams were each executed by lethal injection in separate cases, with the killings occurring hours apart.
The unusual sequence came as US continue to carry out executions at a higher rate than in recent years. So far in 2026, five states have executed 22 death-row inmates, with at least another dozen executions expected. In 2025, 47 inmates were executed nationwide, the highest annual total since 2009, according to the source.
Oklahoma executed Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez for the 2003 murder of his common-law wife, 43-year-old Olimpia Fisher.
In a striking appearance before Oklahoma's Board of Pardons and Parole, Cuesta-Rodriguez acknowledged that he deserved punishment and told Fisher's daughters that it was time for him to pay for what he had done.
His family said he had changed during his years on death row and remained remorseful. Fisher's daughters chose not to witness the execution and said they would continue to remember their mother while raising their own families around the values she had taught them.
Tennessee executed Anthony Darrell Hines for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jenkins, a 54-year-old mother of four who was working as a motel maid.
Court records say Jenkins was cleaning a room at a motel in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, on March 3, 1985, when Hines attacked her. He stole $100 from her, stabbed her and fled in her car, according to the records.
Hines, who was 66 when he was executed, acknowledged taking Jenkins' car but maintained that he did not kill her.
His execution had attracted additional scrutiny because of problems during Tennessee's previous attempt to execute another death-row inmate, Tony Carruthers. That execution was halted in May after a doctor spent roughly two hours trying unsuccessfully to establish a backup intravenous line. Gov. Bill Lee subsequently granted Carruthers a one-year reprieve.
Hines' lawyers had urged the governor to intervene, but Lee said on August 11 that he would not stop the execution.
Jenkins' family witnessed the execution. Her son, Dennis Jenkins, described the lasting trauma of his mother's killing, while her daughter, Melissa Jenkins, said the family had lived with the loss for four decades. She said the execution could not erase the pain but finally brought what the family considered justice.
The third execution came in Alabama, where 42-year-old Jeremy Williams was put to death for the 2021 rape and murder of five-year-old Kamarie Holland in Georgia.
Investigators said Williams subjected the child to severe abuse before killing her. Siple later pleaded guilty to human trafficking involving her daughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Williams took an unusual approach during his capital case. He instructed his lawyers not to mount a defense at his 2024 trial and later told them not to appeal after he received a death sentence. That decision meant his case moved through the death-penalty process far more quickly than most capital cases, which can remain in appeals for years or decades.
Police investigator Lt. Jane Edenfield told USA TODAY that Williams had not expressed remorse or provided much explanation for the killing. Jurors convicted him of multiple offenses, including murder, sodomy, sexual abuse of a child, production of obscene material involving a child, human trafficking and abuse of a corpse.
Kamarie's father, Corey Holland, had full custody of his daughter but sometimes allowed her to stay with her mother, according to Edenfield. He later recalled the devastating loss at Williams' trial. The family continues to mourn Kamarie, whom her father affectionately called "Princess."
Thursday's triple execution was not the result of a coordinated national decision. Death-penalty observers say multiple executions scheduled on the same day are generally the product of separate cases reaching their final stages at roughly the same time.
The last time three states executed inmates on a single day was in 2010, when Ohio, Texas and Louisiana carried out executions, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Death Penalty Information Center data. Robin Maher, the center's executive director, described the latest triple execution as "very unusual."
The three cases also reflect a broader pattern in recent US executions. USA TODAY's analysis found that 64% of the victims involved in 94 executions since 2024 were women or girls. All three men executed Thursday had been convicted of killing female victims, including a five-year-old girl.
Asmi is a digital content producer covering international affairs, technology, business, and trending news. She writes and edits digital-first stories with a focus on delivering timely, accurate, and engaging coverage for online audiences. She produces news across a wide range of topics, combining strong editorial judgment with audience insights to make complex developments accessible and relevant. Her work includes breaking news, explainers, and feature stories, with an emphasis on clarity, verification, and speed in a fast-paced digital newsroom. She is particularly interested in global politics, emerging technologies, media, and internet culture, and enjoys translating complex developments into reader-friendly stories. Asmi holds a master's degree in English and has a strong foundation in research, editing, and digital publishing. Her published work reflects a commitment to factual reporting, accessible storytelling, and audience-centric journalism. She continues to explore evolving trends in digital news and multimedia storytelling while contributing to coverage that informs and engages readers.Read More
