Gov. Lee: Execution report complete, will release later

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says the independent review into the state’s lethal injection procedure has been completed, but he is refusing to immediately release the report’s findings. Lee is promising that the entire review will be released before the end of the year but has denied he is attempting to bury any potentially negative findings over the holidays. Lee, a Republican, paused all executions in May after acknowledging that the state failed to ensure its lethal injection drugs were properly tested. The oversight forced Lee to abruptly halt the execution of Oscar Smith an hour before he was to die in April.