Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike was taken to a hospital after an attempt to execute her by lethal injection failed, according to her legal team. Pike's lawyers filed an emergency motion to halt the execution while it was occurring, stating that she had lost consciousness but still had a heartbeat and was audibly snoring. Pike, 50, is receiving life-saving measures in the hospital after two doses of pentobarbital were administered.
Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Her execution faced a last-minute legal battle that culminated in the US Supreme Court allowing the lethal injections to proceed. Pike and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, were convicted of beating, torturing, and killing Slemmer, whom they met at a job training camp for troubled teens.
May Martinez, Slemmer's mother, expressed her desire for the execution to take place, stating, "It was a mess," following the events of the attempted execution. The incident occurred at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville around 20:00 local time. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital, and the witness room curtain was closed twice during the process. Media were reportedly asked to leave at one point.
According to the Associated Press, Tennessee's execution protocol includes a secondary set of drug syringes in case the initial doses do not result in death, but it does not specify the procedure if the inmate remains alive after the second set. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced a comprehensive review to determine what occurred during the execution attempt and stated that the last execution of the year would not proceed as planned.
The Tennessee Department of Correction maintained that it followed all established execution protocols. Spokesperson Dorinda Carter stated that the lethal injection chemical has been effective and that the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out. Pike's legal team criticized the execution attempt, citing issues such as difficult vein access and inadequate emergency medical care.
District Judge Clifton L. Corker noted that medical personnel began administering care as requested in the motion filed by Pike's lawyers. Dr. Joel Zivot, a medical expert retained by Pike's legal team, indicated that she likely did not achieve a sufficient blood level of pentobarbital to cause respiratory and cardiovascular failure.
The US Supreme Court had previously denied two separate efforts to stop the lethal injection, overturning a reprieve granted by a lower court earlier on the same day. The court had dismissed an appeal from Pike's lawyers regarding the jury's consideration of mitigating evidence related to Pike's history of childhood sexual abuse.
Pike's clemency request was denied by Tennessee's governor earlier in the week. In her petition, Pike expressed remorse for her actions, stating that she did not intend to kill Slemmer. The murder in 1995 garnered significant media attention, particularly due to the circumstances surrounding Slemmer's death. Since 1976, only 18 women have been executed in the US, compared to 1,663 men, representing about 1% of all executions.