Tennessee Death Row Inmate Christa Pike Survives Execution Attempt After Two Injections
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Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike has been taken to hospital after an attempt to execute her by two lethal injections failed, her lawyer says.
Her legal team filed an emergency motion to halt the convicted murderer's execution as it was happening, stating: "Ms Pike has lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat and is audibly snoring."
One of her attorneys confirmed to the BBC that Pike, now 50, is receiving life-saving measures in hospital following the administration of two syringes of pentobarbital.
Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 at the time of the crime alongside her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who beat and tortured Slemmer after meeting her at a job training camp for troubled teens.
Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, expressed her desire for the execution to proceed, telling the Associated Press: "Every time I think about it, I think about Colleen feeling that pain and trying to get up and run."
The attempted execution took place at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville around 8:00 PM local time on Wednesday. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital, and the witness room curtain was closed twice, according to the Associated Press. Media were asked to leave at some point during the process.
Pike's legal team criticized the execution protocol, stating: "The State of Tennessee once again failed to carry out a lawful execution." They noted issues with vein access, ineffective drugs, and a lack of emergency medical care.
District Judge Clifton L Corker issued a ruling granting an emergency stay and ordering medical care for Pike. The Tennessee Department of Correction defended its actions, stating: "The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective... Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility."
Dr. Joel Zivot, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine retained by Pike's legal team, suggested that Pike might have suffered brain damage due to delayed resuscitation efforts.