Christa Pike Survives Botched Tennessee Execution, Claims Arm 'Burst Open'

Christa Pike, 50, is in critical condition and intubated following a botched execution attempt in Tennessee on Wednesday, during which she allegedly told medical staff her arm felt like it was "about to burst open." Her lawyers stated in court documents that she asked her executioners if such an occurrence was normal.

Pike, who has been on death row since 1996 for the 1995 murder of her Job Corps classmate Colleen Slemmer, received two lethal doses of pentobarbital. According to her legal team, executioners struggled to find a vein, using at least seven needles. One needle reportedly bent at a 90-degree angle upon removal.

Pike's attorneys described the execution drug, pentobarbital, as a caustic, highly alkaline chemical that can burn human flesh, tissue, and veins on contact, comparing it to household cleaners like bleach or Drano. Witnesses reported hearing Pike crying and gasping for air during the prolonged execution attempt.

Upon being transported to a Nashville hospital, both of Pike's arms were reportedly swollen, severely burned, and blistered. Her attorney, Randy Spivey, indicated that Pike likely suffered permanent brain damage and noted that she is the only person in history to survive a lethal injection after the drugs had entered her bloodstream.

Pike was 18 years old in January 1995 when she, her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, and friend Shadolla Peterson lured Slemmer to the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus. Pike murdered Slemmer by striking her repeatedly with a chunk of asphalt and was sentenced to death the following year. Shipp received a life sentence due to his age at the time of the crime, while Peterson received probation for her role as an accessory after testifying against Pike and Shipp.