Spiritual Advisor and Buddhist Order Oppose Execution of Christa Pike After Botched Lethal Injection

The spiritual advisor present at the botched execution of Christa Pike, a convicted murderer, has been identified as Reverend Mikey Noechel, a Buddhist meditation instructor and addiction treatment specialist. Noechel, co-director of the Wild Heart Meditation Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and the religious order he represents oppose Pike's execution, citing Buddhist teachings against killing and the cycle of violence.

Pike, 50, was the subject of a failed lethal injection attempt on Wednesday at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. She remains in critical condition after the procedure was called off when authorities struggled to administer the fatal dose. Witnesses reported that Noechel spoke to Pike and sang with her as executioners attempted to insert needles.

Wild Heart Meditation Center, a non-profit Buddhist organization, claims Pike as a member of its sangha, or community. The center and its supporters have actively opposed Pike's execution, advocating for her life through petitions and vigils. They cite Buddhist principles that believe taking a life perpetuates karmic consequences. Noechel had been advising Pike for over two years, teaching her Buddhist meditation practices, including Metta, a practice of wishing well for oneself and others.

The failed execution has prompted Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to pause all executions in the state for the remainder of the year while a third-party review is conducted. Pike was set to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

In January, Pike had sued to block Tennessee’s execution protocols, arguing that they violated her First Amendment right to practice Buddhism by forcing her to participate in planning her own death. Her legal team contended that Buddhism considers intentionally participating in a death, even one's own, a violation of its rule against killing. A court hearing on August 11 sided with Pike's argument for a Buddhist adviser to be present during the execution.

However, Pike's commitment to Buddhist tenets has been questioned. In a notable contradiction to her religious defense, she reportedly requested to be executed by an all-female firing squad just a month after the court ruling. Colleen Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, expressed skepticism about Pike's claims of change, telling The New York Times, "Nobody could ever, ever convince me she’s changed."

Pike was convicted at age 18 for the 1995 torture-killing of her 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. The victim was found with a Satanic pentagram carved into her flesh, and Pike took a piece of Slemmer's skull as a souvenir.

Wild Heart Meditation Center was originally an affiliate of the California-based Against the Stream Buddhist meditation organization. That group faced allegations of sexual misconduct against its founder, Noah Levine, in 2018, leading to the closure of its West Coast locations. The Nashville chapter had already separated from the national affiliation earlier that year, renaming itself Wild Heart Meditation Center. They publicly supported the findings of the investigation into Levine.

During the execution attempt, Pike reportedly sang phrases from a Buddhist meditation taught by Noechel, such as 'Be kind and gentle to yourself and may you be at peace.' Despite the administration of lethal injection drugs, Pike did not die and began to snore. The procedure was halted, and she was transported to Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville. Her attorney indicated she may have suffered brain damage.