
1 hour · 2 summary articles
Tennessee death row inmate survives botched lethal injection, remains in critical condition
Tennessee halts executions after Christa Pike survives two lethal injection attempts
Christa Pike, a 50-year-old woman sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, survived two lethal injection attempts in Tennessee on Wednesday and remains in critical condition in a Nashville hospital, her lawyers said on Thursday.
Pike was administered two doses of pentobarbital, but she continued breathing after the second injection, according to her attorney Randy Spivey. He described a chaotic scene where executioners struggled for an hour to insert an IV line, using at least seven needles on her left arm alone, with one appearing bent upon removal. Observers were placed behind a curtain in a darkened room and left unaware of Pike’s condition or whether medical aid was provided, Spivey said.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee ordered an independent investigation into the failed execution and suspended all executions in the state through the end of the year. “There are many questions. The people of our state deserve answers, and that’s what this investigation is for,” Lee said. He did not specify who would conduct the review.
Pike’s legal team is now seeking to commute her death sentence to life imprisonment, citing the botched procedure. Attorney Stephen Ferrell said Pike had long feared a prolonged, painful death, and that her concerns had been realized. Medical experts for the defense warned Pike may have suffered permanent brain damage. State officials maintained the execution team followed Tennessee’s approved protocol.
Follow us for live European news
11 further sources not geolocated