Tennessee execution of Christa Pike described as botched after she remains alive post-lethal injection

The execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee descended into chaos Wednesday evening when she reportedly remained alive after being administered two doses of lethal injection drugs. Pike, 50, who was convicted of the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, was scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. local time.

Pike's execution was delayed for hours by an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned this stay shortly before 6 p.m., clearing the way for the procedure. The execution was then administered at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville around 7:30 p.m.

However, as of 9 p.m., Pike was still alive and breathing, according to reports from The Tennessean. Her attorneys stated that she was "alive and snoring" and that she had since been transported to a local hospital to receive medical attention.

"Tonight, the State of Tennessee once again failed to carry out a lawful execution," Pike's legal team said in a statement. "We take no pleasure in being right, but the concerns raised by Ms. Pike proved to be true: difficult vein access, blown veins, degraded pentobarbital, no emergency medical care available when things inevitably go wrong, all under a protocol that remains veiled in secrecy."

Witnesses in the execution chamber reported that curtains were opened at 7:26 p.m., at which point Pike and her spiritual advisor sang a song and Pike made her final remarks. Moments later, Pike was heard stating her arm felt like it was about to burst. The curtain was closed at 7:46 p.m. and reopened three minutes later, with Pike audible snoring. The curtain was closed again at 8:06 p.m., and snoring continued until the microphone was cut off around 8:53 p.m., after which media witnesses were escorted out.

Pike's attorneys filed emergency motions with the Tennessee Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the botched execution constituted cruel and unusual punishment and that the Department of Correction had shown deliberate indifference by failing to provide lifesaving measures. Federal Judge Clifton L. Corker later declared that "medical personnel have begun to administer medical care as requested in the motion."

This incident follows another execution in Tennessee that was halted just four months prior when officials were unable to establish a backup IV line for inmate Tony Carruthers.

Pike's legal team had previously argued that her thrombocytosis, a condition that increases clotting, could lead to increased pain and difficulty accessing her veins during the execution. State prosecutors disputed these claims, with a hematologist testifying that Pike's veins were accessible and that recent blood draws had been successful with a single needle stick. A judge had concluded that the evidence did not show her condition would create a substantial risk of severe pain.

Pike's attorneys had also sought alternative execution methods, including an all-female firing squad or hanging, citing concerns about retraumatization due to past sexual abuse if male personnel were involved. Pike's history includes claims of childhood sexual abuse, multiple rapes, and a suicide attempt at age 12.

She was convicted at age 18 for the brutal stabbing and beating death of Colleen Slemmer. Pike's boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, and an accomplice, Shadolla Peterson, were also involved in luring Slemmer to a wooded area where the torture occurred. Pike was sentenced to death, while Shipp received a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Peterson received probation for cooperating with authorities.

Pike had not denied her guilt but argued, along with her attorneys, that her mental illness and background of abuse and neglect at age 18 made her unable to control her actions. Governor Bill Lee stated he had thoroughly reviewed the case and decided not to intervene in the clemency request. Pike refused to select a last meal prior to the scheduled execution.