Over the past day and a half, I have received calls, emails and even text messages from friends who are curious about the execution of Philip Workman.  I have gotten questions while grocery shopping, too.  So, I figured it would be a good idea to "blog" the details that didn't make it onto the air.

         Long after the sun went down and most Memphians were fast asleep, the state of Tennessee prepared to put 53 year old Philip Workman to death.  For 25 years, he has declared his innocence.  Within minutes, he was silenced forever. 

           At 12noon, I was among seven media witnesses who walked into the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.  We signed in. We walked thru metal detectors.  Then, our hands were stamped.  Individually, we were physically searched in private rooms.  After waiting a few minutes, we were up and moving.  We were escorted into a seperate building.  We placed our hands under a flourescent light showing our stamps.  Then, we were taken past the prison "common area" and directed into a conference room.  This was considered a "holding room" for the media.  We talked among ourselves for about 40 minutes.  Despite the conversation, every few minutes, someone would chime in with the question, "do you think he'll get another stay?" 

         At 1am, we were still sitting in the holding room.  We wondered aloud, "maybe he was granted a stay."  The guards, instructed to watch us, didn't seem to have much information.  I'm sure they were just as curious.  About five minutes later, one guard stands and announced that it's time to move.  My pulse is racing and I begin questioning whether I could handle what was about to happen.  We were escorted pass a woman with some sort of medical kit.  A few minutes later, we were informed that she was there for us just in case someone became sick.  So, that knowledge didn't necessarily make my stomach feel better.  I was shaking like pig on the 4th of July.  My mind was spinning with questions.  We were directed into a white room with six red chairs.  I sat confidently and calmy awaiting what was ahead.  We were issued notepads and pencils.  We heard what sounded like something being wheeled into the next room.  We heard chains.  We then heard a door close. 

     At 1:20 Warden Ricky Bell did a sound check. Then, the black blinds were lifted.  We saw Philip Workman on a gurny wearing a white prison-issued jumpsuit.  He was wearing beige thick socks.  His body and arms were strapped down.  His hands were tied down with some kind of white material almost like tape.  He stared straight up at the ceiling.  An I-V was in his right arm.  At 1:21, Warden Bell asked if he had anything he wanted to say.  Workman replied, "I have prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked him not to lay charge of my death to any man." 

      At 1:22, his lips moved briefly and his eyes blinked. 

      At 1:23, Workman said, "I commend my spirit into your hand Lord Jesus Christ."

      A couple of seconds later, his head tilted to his left side.  He took a couple of light breathes, licked his lips, then seemingly drifted off to sleep.  He said nothing more. 

       At 1:36, the black blinds were lowered.  At 1:38, a voice came over the speaker and announced Philip Workman's death.

       Workman never resisted.  He was very composed.  He never wanted his family present.  However, in a seperate room, Lt. Ronald Oliver's former wife and her two children sat and watched.

         Media witnesses retraced our steps and ended up outside the building to tell the world what we saw during as Philip Workman left this world.