How did Christa Pike survive two lethal injections - and what happens now?
BBC News explores the extraordinary case of convicted murderer Christa Pike, who survived two attempts at execution via lethal injection in the US state of Tennessee.
What Happened?
On 30 September 2026, Pike was sent to hospital after authorities failed to execute her for the 1995 murder of a 19-year-old she met at a summer camp for troubled teens. This follows two doses of pentobarbital, the drug used in the lethal injection protocol.
How Did She Survive?
According to Dr Joel Zivot, an anaesthesiologist advising Pike's defense team, Pike didn't have "special immunity." Instead, he suggests that not enough pentobarbital reached her bloodstream due to it spreading across the tissue under her skin instead of circulating in her body. Her medical condition of thrombocytosis, a blood-clotting condition, may also have played a role by potentially blocking the chemical from entering her veins.
The Execution Process
During the execution attempt, prison officials used at least seven needles on Pike to establish IV lines as she cried, whimpered, and breathed loudly.
Subsequent Developments:
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered an independent review of the botched execution and halted executions in the state for the rest of the year.
"Most of the pentobarbital... ended up in her arms, and that's how she lived." - Dr Joel Zivot