Christa Pike, who is on death row in Tennessee, was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer prior to a recent execution attempt that lawyers had warned could be complicated by her condition, according to court documents. The execution, which took place on September 30, was halted after Pike received lethal doses of pentobarbital but survived.
Officials proceeded with the execution despite warnings from Pike's legal team that her elevated platelet count, likely due to a myeloproliferative disorder, could lead to pulmonary edema, a fluid buildup in the lungs, and cause "unnecessary and superadded pain and suffering, terror, and disgrace." Pike's lawyers also noted a history of difficulty with blood draws and needle insertions.
Following the botched execution, Pike, 50, was hospitalized for 10 days. Her legal team stated that both of her arms were swollen, burned, and blistered, suggesting that faulty IV lines may have caused the drug to flow into her tissues rather than her bloodstream. Pike reportedly expressed pain during the procedure, stating, "My arm feels like it's about to burst open."
After her discharge from the hospital on October 9, Pike was returned to the Debra K Johnson Rehabilitation Center. Her lawyers have since filed an emergency motion alleging that her current prison conditions violate a previous agreement with the state. Pike has reportedly been held in isolation for 28 years, which she claims has taken a severe toll on her emotional and physical health. The motion details conditions described as "roach-infested" and highlights Pike's fear of infection and further injury, as well as her concerns about potential assaults in less restrictive housing.
Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1995 beating and stabbing death of her classmate, Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 at the time of the crime, and prosecutors stated she lured Slemmer to a wooded area out of fear she was trying to steal her boyfriend. Pike's then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who was 17 when the crime occurred, received a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Pike remains the only woman on Tennessee's death row.