Pervis Payne
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has given Pervis Payne a temporary reprieve from execution.
In a statement, the governor said: “I am granting Pervis Payne a temporary reprieve from execution until April 9, 2021, due to the challenges and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Payne’s execution was scheduled for December.
The Tennessee State Black Caucus has joined with Payne’s attorneys in urging the governor to change Payne’s death sentence to life in prison due to his intellectual disability.
