Harold Wayne Nichols has been executed by lethal injection in Tennessee for the 1988 rape and murder of college student Karen Pulley. The execution proceeded despite calls for clemency from family members and community leaders. Witnesses at the execution reported on the somber atmosphere, while Nichols offered his last words, expressing remorse. This execution is part of a controversial ongoing use of the death penalty in the state, with some state officials and faith leaders advocating against it.