Execution of Death Row Inmate in Tennessee
A death row inmate in Tennessee issued an apology in his last moments before being executed for the rape and murder of a college student nearly 30 years ago.
Harold Wayne Nichols, 64, stated, “I’m ready to go home,” as he received a lethal injection of pentobarbital at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institute in Nashville on Thursday.
He expressed remorse, saying, “To the people I hurt, I’m sorry. To my family, please know that I love you.” Nichols added, “I know where I’m going. I’m ready to go home.”
Nichols had been on death row since 1990, following the conviction for the murder of 20-year-old Karen Pooley, a student at Chattanooga State University. He attempted to delay his execution just a day prior, but the Tennessee Supreme Court denied his request.
His execution took place at 10:39 a.m. on Thursday.
On September 30, 1988, Nichols broke into Pooley’s home, where she was found asleep. He attacked her with a two-by-four, sexually assaulted her, and fled. Pooley succumbed to her injuries the next day in the hospital.
She was the first of Nichols’ victims during a violent spree between September 1988 and January 1989, which included other assaults in the Chattanooga area. After his arrest, Nichols admitted to both the rape and murder of Pooley, along with confessing to additional assaults.
In court, it became clear he expressed regret but also acknowledged that he would have continued his violent actions had he not been apprehended.
Nichols was sentenced to over 200 years in prison for multiple counts of rape and robbery, with a death sentence for Pooley’s murder. His execution had been delayed twice—first due to the COVID-19 pandemic and again in 2022 because of a procedural error leading to a statewide moratorium on executions.
Pooley’s sister, Lisette Monroe, shared that her family had endured “37 years of hell” waiting for closure. Reflecting on her parents’ struggles, she noted, “Honestly, after Karen’s murder, neither of my parents were the same.” Though the pain of her sister’s loss will never fully dissipate, she hopes that Nichols’ execution may provide some sense of peace.
“We can focus on happy memories of Karen,” Monroe said, remembering her sister as “kind, gentle and innocent,” wanting to cherish these memories rather than relive the tragedy.
Nichols became the third inmate executed this year in Tennessee following a change in the lethal injection protocol, which now utilizes a single drug, pentobarbital, instead of the previous three-drug method.
