911 Calls Reveal Confusion During Botched Christa Pike Execution

Newly released 911 calls from the botched execution of Christa Pike, a US death row inmate, reveal that emergency services faced delays due to confusion over the legitimacy of the calls. The recordings, obtained by the Associated Press, indicate that first responders hesitated to dispatch an ambulance, questioning whether the calls were genuine or a prank.

One dispatcher can be heard on the recordings stating, "We are trying to find out if that is an actual thing that is happening and we need to send an ambulance and, or if you need police assistance or if this is someone that is just basically prank calling or, like, swatting us." Another recording features Kelly Gleason, Pike's defense attorney, urgently calling for help, saying, "She is still alive and breathing and needs immediate life-saving care."