Unmasked: the doctor who helps put prisoners to death
Dr Mark Fowler assisted in the failed execution of a Tennessee prisoner. Physicians are meant to heal patients - why is he working in the death chamber? Mark Fowler, a physician with 25 years’ experience, stepped beneath the bright lights and approached the middle-aged man lying on a gurney. Around him, people in medical gowns prepared needles and sterile tubing. It had all the appearances of a…
Dr. Mark Fowler, a physician with 25 years of experience, found himself in the death chamber at Riverbend maximum security prison in Nashville, Tennessee. The scene appeared eerily like a hospital setting, with medical gowns and sterile tubing. Fowler had been called in to assist with establishing an IV line for Tony Carruthers, who was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection.
The prison inmate, convicted of triple murder in 1994, remained uncooperative as Fowler struggled to find a suitable vein. Fowler's approach to the situation sparked controversy, as he referred to Carruthers as "the patient" and attempted to administer a lethal dose of pentobarbital. The ACLU's capital punishment project's senior counsel, Maria DeLiberato, criticized Fowler for his indifferent words and actions.
Fowler's identity was exposed due to a warden's slip of the tongue, leading to a subpoena for his appearance in court. Fowler declined to discuss the matter further, stating that it was a private situation. The botched execution of Carruthers raised ethical questions about the role of physicians in lethal injections, forcing a public debate on the death penalty and Tennessee's execution practices.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
