Christa Pike's Execution Becomes Chaotic After Two Lethal Injection Doses
Pike, convicted of a 1995 murder, was still reportedly alive and snoring hours after the procedure was scheduled to conclude.
Christa Pike, 50, remained alive and was reportedly snoring after receiving two doses of lethal injection drugs Wednesday evening at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee. Her execution, scheduled for 10 a.m. that day for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, was delayed for hours by an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately overturned that stay shortly before 6 p.m. local time, clearing the way for the lethal injection to proceed. However, witnesses reported that Pike was still alive and breathing as of 9 p.m., according to The Tennessean. Her attorney, Kelley Gleason, stated, "She's alive and snoring," relaying information from another lawyer present at the execution.
Witnesses described the curtains to the execution chamber opening at 7:26 p.m., at which point Pike and her spiritual advisor sang a song, and Pike made her final remarks. The curtains closed at 7:46 p.m., with Pike audibly snoring. Witnesses were removed from the chamber shortly before 9 p.m.
Pike's attorneys had previously argued that her thrombocytosis, a condition that can increase clotting, could lead to complications and increased pain during the execution. They also contended that her veins are difficult to access, potentially prolonging the process and her suffering. A state hematologist testified that Pike's recent medical history showed accessible veins and that medical staff had successfully completed nearly all recent blood draws with a single needle stick. A senior judge had previously concluded that the evidence did not demonstrate that Pike's condition would create a substantial risk of severe pain.
Earlier, Pike's legal team had requested that she be executed by an all-female firing squad or be hanged, citing her history of childhood sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her lawyers argued that being handled by male executioners could retraumatize her and increase the likelihood of pain and suffering, constituting an Eighth Amendment violation.
Pike was convicted at age 18 in March 1996 for the murder of Slemmer. According to reports, Pike was a victim of child sexual abuse and multiple rapes before the age of 17, when she was allegedly raped by a stranger. Slemmer's murder occurred approximately one year after this alleged assault.