3 states carry out executions in a single day, first time since 2010

Three U.S. states carried out executions on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in a single day for the first time since January 7, 2010. Tennessee and Oklahoma executed inmates within 30 minutes of each other, followed by Alabama later in the day.

The executed individuals were convicted of murder: the Tennessee man for killing a maid at a motel in 1985, the Oklahoma man for killing his girlfriend in 2003, and the Alabama man for killing a 5-year-old girl he paid her mother to abuse. Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, executed in Oklahoma for the 2003 killing of his girlfriend, Olimpia Fisher, expressed regret for the murder. He mouthed "I love you" to his attending relatives before being pronounced dead. Fisher's daughters stated they hope the execution raises awareness about preventing domestic violence.

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I love you

This convergence of executions reflects a broader trend of increased capital punishment in the U.S. In 2025, eleven states executed 47 people, the highest number since 2009. Nationwide, 21 executions have occurred in 2026 so far, with nearly a dozen more scheduled. Florida has been particularly active, conducting 12 executions this year, more than all other states combined. Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw a record 19 executions in Florida in 2025, the most in a single year since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

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we hope the execution brings awareness to preventing domestic violence and they honor their mother by 'raising our families to reflect the love and faith in God that she taught us.'