Botched Lethal Injection Leaves Tennessee Inmate Alive, Experts Cite 'Worst Ever'

Convicted murderer Christa Pike survived an attempted lethal injection Wednesday night at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee, leading a death penalty expert to declare it the "worst botched execution in modern history." Pike, 50, was administered two doses of pentobarbital but remained alive, according to her attorneys.

After the procedure, Pike was reportedly still conscious and snoring. She was subsequently transported to a hospital for medical treatment. Her legal team has stated they have not been informed of her current condition or received any updates.

Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, described the event as "singular and unparalleled," noting that while other individuals have survived executions due to issues accessing veins, no one has remained alive after receiving lethal injection drugs. This marks the second execution in Tennessee this year that has been unable to proceed as planned.

In May, the execution of Tony Carruthers was called off after officials were unable to establish an IV line for over an hour. The Tennessee Department of Correction stated that its execution protocol was followed. The protocol includes provisions for administering a secondary set of drugs if the inmate is not deceased after the initial dose, but it does not specify procedures if the inmate remains alive after the second dose.

Pike and her boyfriend were convicted in 1995 of the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Pike lured Slemmer to a wooded area and, fearing Slemmer was attempting to steal her boyfriend, fatally stabbed and beat her. Pike's boyfriend admitted to carving a pentagram into Slemmer's body. Pike's boyfriend, who was 17 at the time of the crime, received a life sentence with the possibility of parole, while Pike was the only one sentenced to death.

Pike's execution had faced multiple legal challenges. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit initially issued a stay to consider allegations of childhood sexual abuse during her sentencing. However, the Supreme Court later cleared the way for the execution to proceed. Pike's supporters argued for consideration of her age at the time of the crime, her mental health issues, and claims of severe sexual abuse. Pike herself, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, stated in a clemency petition that she was a "mentally ill 18-year-old kid" and did not intend to kill Slemmer but acted in a frenzied state.