Christa Pike was placed on a ventilator and remained unconscious in a hospital following a failed execution in Tennessee, according to her attorneys in a court filing on Friday. Hospital staff were reportedly working to save Pike's life and were attempting to clear the two doses of the drug used for executions as of late Thursday.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has prompted calls for answers from both supporters and opponents of the death penalty. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered an independent review of the execution procedures.
The court filing provided details about Pike's condition after she was transported from Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Her attorneys had previously stated that she was in critical condition. They indicated that issues with the IV lines may have caused the lethal drug pentobarbital to flow improperly into her body.
"Apparently at no point did any member of the execution team realize that the IV lines were not correctly placed or that the veins had blown and that the pentobarbital was, in whole or in part, entering Ms. Pike's body," her attorneys stated.
Instead of addressing the issue, the execution team reportedly prepared and administered a second dose of pentobarbital. State officials have not provided explanations regarding the execution failure.
Governor Lee has postponed Pike's execution indefinitely and has called for a review of the procedures, with some Republican lawmakers suggesting a reevaluation of the use of single-drug lethal injections.
Pike's defense attorney, Randy Spivey, noted that the execution team worked for an hour to administer the lethal drugs, using at least seven needles in her left arm. Neither the initial nor the backup dose of pentobarbital was effective, as Pike was still snoring when the microphone in the execution chamber was turned off over an hour into the attempt.
Pike's attorneys have requested that a state court order the Tennessee Department of Correction to preserve all evidence from the failed execution, emphasizing the importance of this evidence for accountability and protecting Pike's legal rights.
Pike was convicted at 18 for the torture and murder of a classmate. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder following the crime. In a previous clemency petition, Pike expressed remorse for her actions.
The mother of the victim, May Martinez, expressed her frustration over the failed execution, stating, "I didn't get justice for my daughter."
This incident follows a previous independent review ordered by Governor Lee after a halted execution in April 2022. A report from that review indicated that the state had not complied with its lethal injection protocols since a revision in 2018, leading to executions conducted without proper testing of drugs.
The state had previously used a three-drug protocol for executions but switched to using only pentobarbital. The review also revealed that the executioner lacked formal healthcare training. Following the report, the Tennessee Department of Correction dismissed its top attorney and another employee.