The physician who participated in the September 30 attempted execution of Christa Pike has stated that a misplaced intravenous line caused the lethal drugs to be administered into the inmate's arm tissue instead of her bloodstream. Dr. Mark Fowler, who advised Pike's defense attorneys, described the event in an interview with New York Magazine, noting that the execution team should have halted the procedure when Pike complained of pain.
Pike, 50, survived the botched execution after receiving two doses of pentobarbital and remained on death row. Fowler recounted that the execution extended to approximately 45 minutes. When he entered the execution chamber, Pike was still alive and gasping for air. He initially considered that the medication might be taking longer than usual to take effect but became concerned about potential irreversible brain damage. A deputy commissioner ultimately ordered the execution stopped.
Following the halt, Pike was administered oxygen and transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Fowler explained to New York Magazine that the IV had not been properly inserted into Pike's veins, leading to the drugs being delivered to the subcutaneous tissue. Pike's attorneys had previously stated in a court filing that she reported severe arm pain during the execution, describing her arm as feeling as though it would "burst open."
Fowler, who also had roles in previous executions and attempted executions in Tennessee, expressed that the state's lethal injection protocol requires changes. He suggested that execution team members responsible for inserting IV lines should remain to monitor their function during the drug administration. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has since halted the state's remaining executions for the year and initiated an independent review of the incident. Pike was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.