Christa Pike Recovering After Botched Execution, Lawyers Say
Christa Pike survived two pentobarbital injections during Tennessee's attempt to execute her on Sept. 30. Her lawyers say she is recovering in the hospital.
- 1995: Pike, then 18, and Tadaryl Shipp killed Colleen Slemmer, 19.
- Witnesses say she kept breathing and moving on the gurney after the injections.
- Oct. 6: Pike regained consciousness in the hospital, her lawyers said.
- Her lawyers say she now walks with assistance and has regained some arm movement.
Why it matters: The case has no clear precedent, and it is Tennessee's second called-off execution this year. In May, staff spent more than 90 minutes failing to set an IV for Tony Carruthers.
- 28 of 29 death penalty states use lethal injection as their primary method.
- Tennessee, Idaho, Alabama, Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma have recorded botched injections since 2022.
How 21 sources split on this story
Where they split: Pike's lawyers want her sentence reduced to life without parole, while death penalty supporters have proposed executing her by a different method.
Center coverage, 9 sources: The center focuses on Pike's medical recovery and the legal steps that follow the failed execution.
Left coverage, 6 sources: The left sees the Pike case as one example of a broader pattern of failed lethal injections in the US.
What’s next: Lee has paused executions for the rest of the year and promised a third-party review.
- Judge I'Ashea Myles ordered preservation of IV lines, syringes and records on Pike's psychological condition.
- The Tennessee Department of Correction declined to say whether it will try again.
- Why did the injections fail to kill Pike? State officials have not explained it.
- Will Lee commute Pike's sentence, or will Tennessee pursue another execution attempt?
- Will the preserved evidence support a lawsuit against the state?
