Stories
US Woman Survives Botched Execution, in Critical Condition
- •Christa Pike, a US death row inmate, is in critical condition and receiving "life-saving care" after surviving a botched execution in Tennessee.
- •Pike was taken to a hospital after surviving two injections of the lethal drug pentobarbital, with her lawyer stating she endured "punishment greater than any other person in the history of the American death penalty."
- •Witnesses reported Pike remained conscious and even snored after the execution began, with her arm turning purple after the second injection.
- •Her lawyers had previously warned about complications due to her veins and a blood condition, fearing a prolonged and painful execution.
- •Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered a comprehensive third-party review of the failed execution, and the next scheduled execution will not take place this year.
Key Questions Answered
Christa Pike survived two injections of pentobarbital during her scheduled execution after medical staff struggled to establish an intravenous line, using at least seven needles in her left arm. Witnesses reported that she remained conscious, asked if what she was experiencing was normal, and was later heard loudly snoring before being transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Governor Bill Lee ordered a comprehensive third-party review of the failed execution protocol and announced that Tennessee's next scheduled execution for the year would not take place.
Christa Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Pike, who was 18 at the time, and her boyfriend beat the victim to death after luring her to a secluded area.
