Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike hospitalized after execution attempt fails
Christa Pike was taken to a hospital after two lethal injections did not cause death, prompting Tennessee officials to suspend later executions and order a review.
Tennessee corrections officials said death row inmate Christa Pike was moved to a nearby hospital after an execution attempt on Thursday did not result in her death. Witnesses reported that she was still breathing after two doses of pentobarbital were administered at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution.
Pike's attorneys released a statement calling the incident a failure to carry out a lawful execution and noted they had not received details about her condition. Investigative journalist John North, who observed the execution, said he believed she remained alive when he left the facility.
The execution proceeded after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way, despite dissenting opinions from Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who argued the decision prevented lower courts from fully considering Pike's claims. The Court had previously denied a stay of execution that cited Pike's history of sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder and a blood condition.
Pike was convicted of the 1999 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a crime she committed at age 18. Her legal team had sought clemency on the basis of her age and mental-health issues, but Governor Bill Lee declined to intervene.
Following the failed execution, Governor Lee announced that the remaining scheduled execution for the year would be postponed and that a comprehensive, third-party review of the procedure would be conducted. Independent UN rights experts had previously urged a halt to the execution, citing concerns about Pike's prolonged psychological suffering.