While the man who raped and killed 7-year old Paula Dyer is dead after being executed by lethal injection Thursday – A state lawsuit Billy Ray Irick and other death row inmates have filed still remains.
It questions whether the three drugs used to kill Irick -- and are set to kill the others -- inflict pain before the inmate dies.
Judges have said Irick's attorneys were not able to prove that point, but media witnesses said they likely wouldn't be able to tell if Irick felt pain as he died.
“One of the drugs he’s given is a paralytic, so if he was in excruciating pain, I don't think we would know, and that's probably something that's going to keep me up tonight,” said Steven Hale, with the Nashville Scene.
With so much still unknown -- those waiting and watching learned one certainty Thursday night: Billy Ray Irick was pronounced dead at 7:48pm.
