NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday he would not intervene to stop the execution of Harold Wayne Nichols.
Nichols, 64, was sentenced to death by lethal injection Thursday for the 1988 rape and murder of 20-year-old Chattanoo State University student Karen Pooley.
Nichols admitted to killing Pulley and raping several other women in the Chattanooga area. Although he expressed remorse at his trial, he acknowledged that he would have continued to commit violent acts if he had not been arrested. In 1990, he was sentenced to death.
Nichols’ attorneys had sought to have his sentence reduced to life in prison, arguing he accepted responsibility for his crimes and pleaded guilty. His clemency petition states, “He will be the first person to be executed for pleading guilty since Tennessee reintroduced the death penalty in 1978.”
In a statement emailed Tuesday evening, Lee said: “After careful consideration of Harold Wayne Nichols’ request for clemency and a thorough review of the case, I affirm the State of Tennessee’s sentence and do not intend to intervene.”
In a recent interview, Pooley’s sister Lisette Monroe said the wait for Nichols’ execution had been “37 years of hell.” She described her sister as “gentle, sweet and innocent” and said she hoped after the execution she would be able to focus on Pulley’s happy memories rather than her murder.
Nichols’ attorneys issued a statement saying they were “deeply saddened and deeply disappointed” by Lee’s decision to deny clemency.
“Wayne has spent decades taking responsibility for his actions and working hard to turn his life around and become an extraordinary person who is loved and trusted by correctional officers, faith leaders and many in the community,” they wrote.
Nichols broke into Pooley’s home, raped her and beat her over the head with a 2-by-4 board. Pooley suffered severe brain injuries and died the next day.
Months after Pooley’s murder, Nichols was arrested for unrelated rapes and burglaries in the Chattanooga area. He admitted to raping several victims in Chattanooga in the two months before Pulley was killed. He admitted to raping two victims but had a jury trial and convictions for two others.
