Anthony Darrell Hines Scheduled For Execution In Tennessee After Nearly Four Decades On Death Row

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Anthony Darrell Hines Scheduled For Execution In Tennessee After Nearly Four Decades On Death Row

Max ResolutionAnthony Darrell Hines is scheduled for execution on August 13, 2026, in Tennessee for the 1985 murder of motel worker Katherine Jean Jenkins at the CeBon Motel. The case has been among the longest-running death penalty proceedings in the state, involving nearly four decades of legal battles, appeals, and public scrutiny.

The crime occurred in 1985 when Jenkins was found murdered at her workplace. Investigators later identified Hines as a suspect, and he was charged with first-degree murder. Over the following years, Hines was convicted, sentenced to death, and subsequently faced multiple appeals, including challenges in both state and federal courts.

A notable aspect of the case is that Hines received two separate death sentences over time, with one being overturned by a federal court and later reinstated following a U.S. Supreme Court decision. During the lengthy legal process, Hines’ attorneys argued claims of innocence, requested DNA testing that was ultimately denied, and raised questions about alternate suspects connected to the crime.

The complexity of the case has been compounded by Tennessee’s execution procedures. Following a recent failed execution attempt involving another inmate, questions have resurfaced regarding lethal injection protocols and the reliability of the state’s execution process. These developments have renewed public and legal attention on Hines’ case, including potential challenges in the final weeks before the scheduled execution.

Max Res 2Throughout his nearly forty years on death row, Hines has remained incarcerated at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where he has spent decades under restrictive confinement while legal proceedings continued. His case has become a focal point for discussions about the death penalty, procedural fairness, and the treatment of long-term death row inmates.

Supporters of the execution argue that Hines was convicted of a serious and violent crime and that the legal system has thoroughly reviewed the case over decades, upholding both conviction and sentence. Critics emphasize the unresolved questions, denied DNA testing, alternate suspect theories, and the challenges inherent in carrying out decades-old death sentences.

previewAs Tennessee prepares to carry out the execution, the Hines case exemplifies the difficulties associated with long-running capital cases and highlights broader debates about justice, evidence, and procedural safeguards in the administration of the death penalty.

More than forty years after the murder of Katherine Jean Jenkins, questions about guilt, innocence, and the fairness of execution procedures remain at the center of public discussion.

6/17/2026

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The Infamous Episode That Was Cut from Get Smart (1965)

29 July 2026

A long-buried piece of television history has finally surfaced, revealing that one of the most beloved moments of the classic 1960s spy comedy "Get Smart" was deliberately cut from the airwaves before anyone could see it. The scene, a visual gag featuring Maxwell Smart walking into Control headquarters wearing a pair of fluffy bunny slippers, was deemed too absurd even for a show that regularly featured exploding telephones and a cone of silence. Network executives, according to newly surfaced production notes and insider accounts, quietly removed the footage from the episode before it ever aired, sparking a decades-old mystery that has now resurfaced with a vengeance. The revelation comes as a shock to longtime fans who have spent years wondering why a show built on absurdity would ever censor a harmless sight gag. "Get Smart" was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry as a satirical response to the James Bond spy craze, and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. Yet, in a move that now seems almost laughable itself, the network decided that bunny slippers crossed an invisible line. The scene was shot and included in the original cut of a second-season episode, but just days before broadcast, an anonymous executive ordered it removed. No explanation was ever given, and the footage was lost for decades. The bunny slippers were not the only casualty of this peculiar censorship. Multiple other scenes from the same era were also cut, including a sequence where Max accidentally spills hot coffee on the Chief, causing a silent scream that reportedly cracked up the live audience. That scene was removed because it made the Chief look too weak, a decision that seems baffling given that the character regularly endured far worse indignities. Another lost moment involved Max using a rubber chicken as a diversionary weapon, rigged to squawk and explode into confetti. Studio executives deemed it "too slapstick," a bizarre charge for a show where slapstick was the entire point. Perhaps the most curious cut was a full scene where Max and Agent 99, trapped inside a malfunctioning Cone of Silence, share personal confessions that hinted at deeper romantic feelings. That scene was removed because it made the episode "too romantic" for a spy comedy. These revelations come from a trove of production documents and interviews with surviving cast and crew members that have recently been unearthed by television historians. The documents show a network deeply conflicted about the show's tone, constantly second-guessing the creators. "Get Smart" aired on NBC for its first four seasons before moving to CBS for its final year, and throughout its run, executives frequently intervened to tone down what they considered excessive silliness. The irony is thick: a show that thrived on the ridiculous was constantly being policed for being too ridiculous. The bunny slippers scene has become a kind of urban legend among hardcore "Get Smart" fans. For years, rumors circulated that a few lucky viewers had seen the slippers in early broadcast test screenings or rehearsal footage. Some claimed to have spotted them in promotional stills. The scene was never officially acknowledged, and no DVD or streaming release has ever included it. But now, with the release of these new documents, the mystery is finally solved. The scene existed. It was filmed. And it was deliberately buried. Don Adams, who played Maxwell Smart, reportedly loved the bunny slippers gag. According to interviews with Barbara Feldon, who played Agent 99, Adams often improvised physical comedy and the slippers were his idea. He thought they perfectly captured Max's cluelessness and the show's irreverent spirit. The network's decision to cut it reportedly left Adams frustrated, but he never publicly complained. The actor, who won three Emmy Awards for his role, passed away in 2005, but his legacy remains tied to the iconic character. The revelation of these lost scenes has reignited a broader conversation about television censorship in the 1960s. At the time, networks were still struggling to define what was acceptable for prime-time comedy. Shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "I Love Lucy" had pushed boundaries, but there was always an invisible line. "Get Smart" pushed that line harder than most, with its blend of slapstick, wordplay, and political satire. Yet, even then, the line existed. The bunny slippers, the coffee spill, the rubber chicken, and the romantic Cone of Silence scene all crossed it. Historians note that the cut footage represents a lost opportunity for the show to deepen its characters and broaden its comedy. The coffee spill scene, for example, added a layer of physical comedy that was a staple of silent film influences. The rubber chicken moment was a callback to vaudeville traditions. And the romantic confession scene could have given the series a rare emotional anchor. Instead, all three were sacrificed to a vague sense of propriety that now seems absurd. The documents also reveal that the network's meddling led to a decline in the show's creativity by its later seasons. "Get Smart" ran for five seasons, from 1965 to 1970, and critics have long noted that the quality slipped after the third season. The new evidence suggests that executive interference may have been a contributing factor. By the time the series ended, the freshness of the parody had dulled, replaced by formulaic episodes that relied on catchphrases rather than invention. Fans are now clamoring for the release of the lost footage. Some have started online petitions urging NBC and the show's rights holders to search their archives for the original film reels. So far, no official response has been given. The bunny slippers scene may still exist in a vault somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered. Or it may have been destroyed, lost to the same short-sightedness that kept it from viewers in the first place. The absurdity of the situation is not lost on those who have spent years studying "Get Smart." Mel Brooks, the co-creator, once said in an interview that the show was about "laughing at the absurdity of the spy world." To censor a bunny slipper gag, he said, was "like censoring a laugh."…