Tennessee execution doctor says he will continue to carry out death sentences after botched lethal injection

Dr. Mark Fowler, a 69-year-old physician who supervised the lethal-injection procedure for convicted murderer Christa Pike, gave his first public comments since the botched execution on September 20, 2026. Fowler said he believes Pike deserves the death penalty for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer and that completing the sentence would provide closure for the victim’s family.

“There are times when you have to draw a line and say, ‘You have traversed socially acceptable norms and we must extract from you the ultimate penalty,’” Fowler told a news outlet.

Fowler, who has participated in seven executions, described his role as waiting in the anteroom of the death chamber and pronouncing death. He argued that delegating the task to others would be inconsistent with his support for capital punishment.

During Pike’s execution, the procedure stalled after two doses of pentobarbital, and the inmate remained breathing for more than 45 minutes. Fowler noted that the warden informed him that Pike was still alive, and he continued to monitor the situation. Hospital staff later determined that improperly placed IV lines caused the drug to seep into arm tissue rather than enter the bloodstream.

Pike recovered and was returned to the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center within two weeks. Governor Bill Lee subsequently suspended executions for the remainder of 2026 while legal challenges continue.

Fowler acknowledged procedural errors, stating that staff should have responded promptly when Pike reported arm pain. He advocated for a return to a three-drug execution protocol that includes potassium chloride, despite ongoing concerns about its humaneness.

Fowler also addressed criticism he has faced, describing it as personal attacks and asserting that he does not consider himself immoral or incompetent. He said he has closed his social-media accounts amid the controversy.

Pike, who would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than two centuries, issued a brief statement after the incident expressing uncertainty about her survival and a desire to recover.