Could Christa Pike Face Execution Again and By What Method?
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Figure caption: Watch: What we know about Christa Pike's "shock" recovery in hospital
By Brandon Drenon
Published 7 October 2026 Updated 10 minutes ago
The botched execution of Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike has thrust the state's criminal justice system into uncharted territory. A week after receiving two doses of the drug pentobarbital, she is said to be walking and talking again, in limited ways.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered an independent investigation and suspended all executions for the rest of the year. The fate of Pike, who has been on death row for 30 years for murdering Colleen Slemmer, now lies in a mysterious grey area.
At a hearing on Wednesday, an attorney for Tennessee stated the decision on scheduling a new execution date was up to the state's supreme court. But Pike's lawyers are seeking to have her death sentence commuted to life in prison without parole. Lee, who has commutation powers, has not indicated what the state will do.
Slemmer was murdered by both Pike and Pike's then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who was not an adult at the time so was spared the death penalty and remains in prison.
The BBC spoke to multiple experts to explore what could happen next.
Attempt to Execute Pike Again by Lethal Injection
The Tennessee Department of Correction could attempt to execute Pike a second time by lethal injection, but the state would likely face significant legal challenges based on constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
"For the state to attempt to execute her again using the same methodology, they would have severe legal hurdles," says Tennessee-based defense attorney Stephen Ross Johnson.
Johnson notes that Tennessee has botched two executions in one year—it also failed to kill Tony Carruthers in May—which could provide lawyers with grounds to argue broadly against the constitutionality of the state’s lethal injection protocol.
How Did Christa Pike Survive Two Lethal Injections?
Pike's lawyers had warned before the execution attempt that she has small veins and thrombocytosis, a blood-clotting condition that would complicate the procedure. Her medical condition, combined with the state's botched execution, would make it difficult for Tennessee to present a convincing legal argument for attempting lethal injection again, according to Johnson.
Attempt to Execute Her With a Different Method
Johnson suggests the state might attempt an execution by a different method, requiring "additional legal hoops," including approval from the governor's office and potentially the state legislature.
Since Pike's survival, political leaders in Tennessee have called for moving her death sentence forward through other means. Senator Marsha Blackburn, the Republican candidate for governor in next month's election, has advocated for bringing back the electric chair. Congressman Tim Burchett has even filed a bill to "bring back hanging."
Tennessee could be allowed to use the electric chair because Pike committed the murder while a juvenile, although such a method has not been used in the US since 1957.