Warning: This article discusses topics of sexual assault which may be distressing to some readers.
A man in Tennessee was executed nearly 40 years after committing the murder of a 20-year-old college student, offering chilling final words before his death.
Harold Wayne Nichols had been on death row for 35 years following his sentencing in 1990 for the rape and murder of Karen Pulley, a student at Chattanooga State University, a crime committed two years prior.
During the years since his sentence was handed down, Nichols’ legal team tried to have his death penalty converted to a life sentence, arguing that he “would be the first person to be executed for a crime he pleaded guilty to since Tennessee re-established the death penalty in 1978.”
Nichols did admit to killing Pulley and confessed to raping several other women in the vicinity. Despite claiming remorse, he acknowledged that he might not have stopped his criminal behavior had he not been apprehended.
During his trial, Nichols stated: “I’d just get these feelings and I’d do it. I can’t describe it or understand it.”
He told the jury that he wished he could “trade places” with Pulley.
After decades on death row, the US Supreme Court chose not to halt the execution on December 11, leading to Nichols’ death by lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in Nashville.
In his final statement, he seemed to address his victims and their families.
He expressed: “To the people I harmed, I’m sorry.”
Michelle Heron, a Local 3 reporter who witnessed the execution, noted that Nichols appeared ’emotional’ in his final moments.
“He nodded his head. I also saw his right foot kind of moving,” Heron described of his last moments.
Lisette Monroe, Pulley’s sister, shared with CBS News her thoughts about Pulley, calling her “gentle, sweet and innocent.”
With Nichols’ execution, Monroe hopes she can now focus on the positive memories rather than the tragedy of her sister’s murder.
Pulley’s brother-in-law, Jeff Monroe, expressed to Local 3: “We have waited 37 years for justice. We understand that taking a life is serious; we don’t take any pleasure out of it. However, the victims, and there were many, were carefully stalked and attacked.”
“We are relieved that the nightmare is over and take comfort in knowing that he never again will be able to hurt anyone else,” he added.
“Moving forward, our family is going to concentrate on happy memories of Karen and never again have to be retraumatized by this monster.”
Nichols’ execution is the third in Tennessee this year and the 46th in the United States.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. You can also chat online via online.rainn.org.