Oklahoma Executes First Of Three Scheduled For Same Day Across U.S.

Idaho News · Idaho Politics and Government
August 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM PDT

Why It Matters

Oklahoma on Thursday carried out an execution that marked the beginning of what could be the first coordinated multi-state execution day in nearly 16 years. If Tennessee and Alabama follow through with their scheduled executions, the development would reflect the resumption of capital punishment at a pace not seen since 2010 and signal continued enforcement of death sentences across the nation.

What Happened

Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, age 70, was executed by lethal injection at 10:13 a.m. CDT at McAlester State Penitentiary in Oklahoma on Thursday. Cuesta-Rodriguez had been convicted of the 2003 fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Olimpia Fisher, age 43, at an Oklahoma City home. He was the third person executed in Oklahoma during 2025 and the 20th under Governor Kevin Stitt.

The Oklahoma execution came hours before Tennessee carried out its own execution. Anthony Darrell Hines, age 66, was executed by lethal injection at 10:43 a.m. CDT for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jenkins, age 54, a motel maid in Kingston Springs. Hines had been sentenced to death in 1986, won an appeal, and was re-sentenced to death in 1989.

Alabama had scheduled the execution of Jeremy Williams, age 42, for the same day. Williams pleaded guilty in the 2021 rape and murder of Kamarie Holland, age 5, and declined to appeal his conviction.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-1 against recommending clemency for Cuesta-Rodriguez on July 14, clearing the way for the execution to proceed.

By the Numbers

If all three executions are completed, it marks the first time three executions have occurred on the same day in the United States since January 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio, and Texas each carried out a death sentence. Eleven states carried out executions in 2025. Florida alone has executed 31 prisoners since the start of 2025, including two men in July. If the Tennessee and Alabama executions proceed, six states will have conducted executions in 2026.

Execution Challenges and Setbacks

Tennessee’s execution of Hines occurred despite previous complications in that state. In May, an attempted execution of Tony Carruthers was halted after intravenous insertion problems. Governor Bill Lee subsequently granted Carruthers a one-year reprieve.

Alabama has also faced obstacles. In June, a federal judge ruled the state’s nitrogen gas execution method unconstitutional, halting that approach. The state has since returned to lethal injection for scheduled executions.

In 2018, three executions were scheduled for the same day, but only one was carried out, suggesting coordination across state lines remains uncertain even when dates align.

What’s Next

The focus now turns to whether Alabama will complete the execution of Jeremy Williams as scheduled. The outcome will determine whether the coordinated execution day reaches its full scope and whether the trend of accelerated capital punishment enforcement continues into 2026.

For additional context on three states set to execute inmates on the same day, or to learn more about law enforcement developments, see coverage of Trump’s appointment of a former Oklahoma trooper to lead immigration enforcement.