On Thursday, August 9, death row inmate Billy Ray Irick is set to face execution.
The Knox County man was convicted in the 1985 rape and murder of then 7-year-old Paula Dyer and has been on death row for about 30 years.
He's exhausted almost all his appeals, and unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes Thursday -- he'll be be put to death by means of lethal injection.
At the time this article was written, Irick had less than 24 hours left before his scheduled execution.
How will he spend the last day of his life? On death watch, in a special cell at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. The cell is closer to the execution chamber, and more private.
"It is contained, there is a shower and a sink and a toilet and a desk, access immediately right outside to a phone," said Knoxville attorney Don Bosch.
Bosch has worked on death row cases in the past. He said the last day leading up to an execution is busy for everyone involved -- especially in Irick's case, where a petition to stop the execution is still pending.
"[The Supreme court is] working very furiously to review to same, to determine whether they will grant a stay or deny a stay," said Bosch.
That order to stop the execution can come up to the very last minute. Former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade expects that is an order that will not come for Irick.
Bosch said something else that might stop it is the argument about the legality of drugs used in the lethal injection.
Until then, Irick is allowed to see visitors in prison.
"Irick is going to have access, should he want it, to pastoral care, to family," said Bosch.
He also may be preparing his final words.
Irick put in his request for his final meal Thursday. He chose a "Super Deluxe Combo" from an unnamed restaurant. That's a burger, onion rings and a Pepsi.
"They will start preparing it for him about 90 minutes before," said Bosch.
Preparation for a lethal injection means hooking up IV tubes to Irick and medical machinery.
Then he'll be brought in to the chamber, and witnesses will be escorted in to view the execution.
If there's no delay, he is set to die at 8 p.m. EST.
"If an execution goes through with any death row prisoner, after the coroner pronounces the defendant dead and there will be autopsy done, the body will then be released to the family for proper burial," said Bosch.
Irick is under constant surveillance by guards while on death watch leading up to the execution. This is to make sure nothing happens medically or psychologically to Irick that could delay his execution.
WBIR will have a crew in Nashville for the execution, including a witness inside.