Three men were executed in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama on Thursday, marking the first time in more than 15 years that three executions occurred in the U.S. on the same day.

Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was executed in Oklahoma for the 2003 murder of his common-law wife and had appealed for mercy while citing lifelong mental health struggles.

Darrell Hines, 66, was executed in Tennessee for the 1985 murder of a motel worker, despite his attorneys’ efforts to delay the execution.

Jeremy Williams, 42, was executed in Alabama for the 2021 rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in Georgia after he declined to appeal his conviction, The Guardian has reported.

The executions come amid a broader increase in capital punishment in the U.S., with 47 executions carried out nationwide last year compared with 25 in 2024.