Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has suspended all executions in the state following a failed lethal injection administered to Christa Gail Pike, a woman convicted of murder. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, when Pike endured two doses of a lethal drug but survived the procedure and was subsequently hospitalized for medical care.
Pike, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, was injected with pentobarbital during the execution attempt. Witnesses reported that Pike was snoring after the administration of the drug. Her attorneys argued in court that the botched execution caused her unnecessary pain and suffering, asserting it violated her constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment. They also noted that Pike’s small veins increased the likelihood of complications and distress during lethal injections.
The Tennessee Department of Correction stated that it followed the established execution protocol approved by the state’s Attorney General’s Office, emphasizing that the lethal injection chemical has consistently been effective and that no additional procedures are permitted beyond those carried out during the execution attempt. Pike’s medical condition following the incident has not been disclosed.
The state’s Supreme Court approved the execution late Wednesday after overturning a lower court’s decision to pause the procedure. The ruling was made despite dissent from the court’s three liberal justices.
In response to the failed execution, Governor Lee ordered a comprehensive third-party review to ascertain the exact cause of the malfunction. He also announced that no further executions would be carried out in Tennessee for the remainder of the year.
This is not the first time executions have been halted in Tennessee. In 2022, the state suspended lethal injections after discovering deficiencies with the execution drugs.
Pike was 18 years old at the time she was convicted for the torture and killing of 19-year-old Slemmer. After the failed execution, she was moved to an offsite medical facility for lifesaving treatment.