A woman on death row has been rushed to hospital after surviving two doses of lethal injection drugs during a botched execution attempt.
Christa Pike was scheduled to be executed at a maximum-security prison in Nashville on September 30. Despite a last-minute stay, the Supreme Court ultimately allowed the procedure to proceed. However, more than an hour after the drugs were administered, legal representatives confirmed Christa was still alive.
Witnesses described the event as abnormally long, with the curtain drawn multiple times. Journalist Kim Chandler noted, "I would say that Christa appeared noticeably awake as the execution began." Observers reported her gasping and loudly snoring until the chamber was finally cleared.
At 50, Christa is the first woman to face execution in the state for over 200 years, convicted of murdering 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Christa was 18 when she committed the crime, convinced Colleen was trying to steal her boyfriend.
Lawyers filed an emergency petition for a stay. "Christa has not lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat and is audibly snoring," they wrote, demanding immediate medical care.
Her legal team condemned the state. "We take no pleasure in being right, but the concerns raised by Christa proved to be true," they said, citing difficult vein access, degraded pentobarbital and absent emergency care. Previously, Christa expressed intense fear of the procedure and requested an all-female team due to a history of trauma.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspended all executions for the remainder of the year and called for a comprehensive third-party review. State officials maintain staff followed protocols.
This marks the state's second problematic attempt this year. In May, Tony Carruthers received a reprieve after staff repeatedly failed to establish an intravenous line.
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