EXECUTION #8

Steve Henley
Executed February4, 2009 1:31 a.m. CST by Electric Chair in Tennessee
8th murderer executed in U.S. in 2009
1144th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
1st murderer executed in Tennesee in 2009
5th murderer executed in Tennesee since 1976
Summary:
Fred and Edna Stafford, an elderly couple, lived in Jackson County, just a short distance from the farm owned by Steve Henley’s family. On the day of the murders, Henley had visited his grandmother. Accomplice Terry Flatt was with him. According to Flatt, Henley commented that the Staffords had owed his grandparents some money, and he was going to stop and see about collecting some money off them.” Henley retrieved a .22 rifle with him, and filled a plastic jug with gasoline. He confronted the Staffords in the yard, and said “I want your money, if you don’t give it to me this man in the truck here, he’s going to kill me.” He then directed them to go to the house. Despite Mr. stafford offering to give Henley money, as they reached the porch Flatt saw Henley begin to shoot. He first shot Fred then turned and shot Edna a time or two. While she was laying on the floor moaning and groaning he threw the rifle to Flatt, took out his pistol and shot her again with the pistol. Both men pured gasoline, lit it, and fled. The bodies of the Staffords were found in the ashes. Flatt was given a reduced sentence for his testimony against Henley and served five years of a 25-year prison sentence.
Final / Special Meal:
A seafood plate of shrimp, fish, oysters, onion rings and hush puppies.
Final Words:
“As I have said ever since this happened, I didn’t kill them,” Henley said during his final words of his victims, Fred and Edna Stafford. “I hope they can rest easier after this procedure is done.”
The Execution
Henley was revealed to family members and media witnesses to the execution at 1:17 a.m., already strapped to the death gurney. When he heard the shouts and cries of his family, Henley lifted his head and smiled to them. Henley was pronounced dead at 1:33 a.m. today in the Riverbend Maximum Security Institute’s death chamber. Henley was put to death using Tennessee’ controversial three-drug protocol for lethal injection.