Three U.S. Death Row Inmates Put to Death on Same Day for First Time in 16 Years

WASHINGTON — Three executions were carried out in the United States on Thursday, marking the first time in nearly 16 years that three death-row inmates were put to death on the same day.

The executions took place in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama, with the three states carrying out lethal injections within hours of one another. The last time three executions occurred on the same day was January 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio and Texas carried out executions.

The unusual scheduling drew attention because executions on the same day are relatively rare. Experts said the coincidence largely reflects the timing of individual cases rather than a coordinated national policy.

Three States, Three Cases

In Oklahoma, Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was executed for the 2003 killing of his girlfriend, Olimpia Fisher. He was the first of the three inmates to be put to death Thursday.

About an hour later, Tennessee executed Anthony Darrell Hines, 66, for the 1985 killing of motel worker Catherine Jean Jenkins. Hines had spent decades on death row and had challenged his execution on several grounds, including concerns related to his health and Tennessee’s previous difficulties carrying out a lethal injection.

Later in the day, Alabama executed Jeremy Williams, who had been sentenced to death for the 2021 killing of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland. Williams had pleaded guilty and had not sought to overturn his death sentence.

A Rare Day for U.S. Executions

The three executions came amid an increase in the number of capital punishments carried out in the United States.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 47 people were executed across 11 states in 2025, the highest annual total since 2009. Florida accounted for a large share of those executions.

So far in 2026, executions have been concentrated in a relatively small number of states. The three executions Thursday brought the nationwide total to 21, according to CBS News’ reporting citing the Death Penalty Information Center.

Debate Over the Death Penalty Continues

The rare triple execution also comes as Americans continue to debate capital punishment.

Support for the death penalty has declined from earlier decades, although the issue remains deeply divided. Some victims’ families and prosecutors argue that executions provide accountability for particularly serious crimes, while opponents question whether the government should have the power to take a prisoner’s life.

Thursday’s executions were not connected to one another beyond the fact that the sentences happened to be carried out on the same day.

For the families involved, however, each case represents the final chapter of a separate and lengthy legal process — one that began with crimes committed decades apart.

The three executions represent the first U.S. triple-execution day since 2010, highlighting the unusual convergence of death-penalty cases across three states