Tennessee Execution Attempt Leaves Inmate Unconscious on Ventilator, Lawyers Claim
Attorneys for Christa Pike allege seven needles were used in a failed lethal injection, resulting in severe burns and hospitalization.
Christa Pike, convicted of murder 30 years ago, remains hospitalized in critical condition, unconscious and on a ventilator, with severe burns on her arms following a botched execution attempt, her lawyers stated.
Pike's attorneys filed an emergency motion requesting the Tennessee Department of Correction preserve all evidence related to the execution, which they described as failed.
According to the motion, medical staff attempted to administer two lethal doses of pentobarbital to Pike, 50, on Wednesday, using at least seven needles. Her lawyers reported that Pike herself offered guidance on needle placement at one point, and one needle bent at a 90-degree angle when removed.
During the procedure, Pike reportedly cried out, whimpered, and breathed heavily. Her attorneys claim she expressed discomfort, stating, "my arm feels like it's about to burst open," and questioning the process.
Upon arrival at a Nashville-area hospital, both of Pike's arms were reportedly swollen, burned, and blistered. Her legal team believes issues with the IV lines caused the pentobarbital to enter her body incorrectly, rather than her bloodstream, comparing the drug's effect to bleach or Drano.
The filing asserts that the execution team did not appear to recognize the IV lines were improperly placed or that veins had "blown," leading to the backup administration of more pentobarbital. Pike's lawyers are seeking evidence preservation to ensure accountability and protect her rights.
"We are working closely with those closest to Christa to respect her wishes, safeguard her privacy and protect her rights as a patient during this extraordinarily difficult time," said Luke Ihnen, an attorney for Pike. "We ask that the public and the media respect that privacy as well."
Pike was convicted in 1995 for the murder of her Knoxville Jobs Corp classmate, Colleen Slemmer. Her attorneys had previously argued in an appeal that her individual physical characteristics, including thrombocytosis, PTSD, and small veins, would make the execution constitute cruel and unusual punishment, claims her lawyers say were dismissed as speculation.
"In the words of one media witness: we have a lot of questions, and the Department of Correction has a lot of answers that it needs to provide to the public about what happened here. We agree,"' her lawyers stated in the court filing.