False Testimony Sent Tony Carruthers to Death Row. Tennessee Is About to Kill Him.
Tony Carruthers is facing execution in Tennessee despite maintaining his innocence for over three decades. His conviction was largely based on the testimony of a paid informant, Alfredo Shaw, who has since recanted his claims. Advocates, including former jail employees, are calling for clemency, highlighting the flaws in Carruthers's case and the reliability of Shaw's testimony.
- ▪Tony Carruthers was sentenced to death in 1996 based on the testimony of Alfredo Shaw, a paid informant.
- ▪Shaw has repeatedly recanted his testimony, raising doubts about Carruthers's guilt.
- ▪Despite calls for clemency from supporters, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced he will not intervene in the execution.
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False Testimony Sent Tony Carruthers to Death Row. Tennessee Is About to Kill Him. Carruthers’s murder conviction hinged on the claims of paid informant, who has repeatedly recanted his testimony. Liliana Segura May 20 2026, 2:11 p.m. Share Copy link Share on Facebook Share on Bluesky Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Collage: The Intercept / Photos: ACLU / Tony Carruthers's legal team Earley Story will never forget the name Alfredo Shaw. As a longtime employee at the Shelby County Jail in downtown Memphis, Story had seen the young man come in and out of the detention facility known as 201 Poplar since the 1980s. Shaw acted cocky, but there was fear in his eyes. Story, a devout Christian, occasionally had conversations with him about God.
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