Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike, 50, remains alive in critical condition after officials attempted to execute her by lethal injection twice, prompting Governor Bill Lee to halt all executions in the state for the remainder of the year.
Pike was administered two doses of pentobarbital during Wednesday’s execution attempt but continued breathing afterward, according to her lawyers. She was subsequently transported by ambulance to a hospital, where she is receiving life-saving treatment.
Her attorney, Randy Spivey, said Thursday that Pike’s medical condition remained uncertain but confirmed that she was alive.
The execution was reportedly complicated by difficulties establishing an intravenous line. Spivey said the execution team spent about an hour attempting to establish IV access, with at least seven needles reportedly used in Pike’s left arm.
According to her legal team, observers were placed behind a closed curtain after the second dose was administered. Spivey said it became apparent that Pike was still breathing, but witnesses could not see what was happening behind the curtain.
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Pike’s lawyers are now asking Tennessee authorities to commute her death sentence, while also considering additional legal options.
Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 at the time of the crime and was convicted of participating with her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, in the beating, torture and killing of Slemmer.
Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, who travelled to Tennessee to witness the execution, described the failed execution as “a mess” in comments to NBC News.
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Governor orders investigation
Governor Bill Lee has ordered an independent investigation into the failed execution and announced that Tennessee’s remaining executions for the year will be paused.
“There are a lot of questions,” Lee said, adding that the people of Tennessee deserve answers and that the investigation would be thorough.
The state’s pause also affects the scheduled 3 December execution of convicted murderer Gary Sutton.
The Tennessee Department of Correction, however, defended its conduct, saying officials followed the state’s established execution protocol, which had been approved by the attorney general’s office.
The department said the protocol provides for a second dose of pentobarbital if the first dose fails and does not authorize additional procedures beyond those carried out.
The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office said it supported the investigation, stating that officials “need to know what happened.”
Political debate over executions
The incident has also reignited debate over Tennessee’s execution methods.
Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is running for Tennessee governor, called the situation tragic but argued that Tennessee should restore the electric chair as an execution method.
Democratic candidate Jerri Green criticized that position and said she would impose a moratorium on future executions if elected governor.
The incident marks the second failed execution attempt in Tennessee in 2026. In May, officials halted the execution of Tony Carruthers after staff were unable to establish intravenous access. Carruthers subsequently received a one-year reprieve.
Pike’s case now faces further legal and medical developments as her lawyers await information about her condition and pursue options regarding her death sentence.
