A botched execution attempt in Tennessee is drawing renewed attention to the future of the death penalty across the country, including in Ohio.
Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, was scheduled to be executed Sept. 30, but the execution was halted after she reportedly remained alive following the administration of lethal-injection drugs. Her attorneys argued she was suffering "unnecessary agony" and successfully sought emergency intervention from the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has since ordered an investigation into the incident and delayed the state's remaining execution scheduled for this year, that of convicted killer Gary Wayne Sutton, on Dec. 3.
The incident has sparked new questions about the use of
the death penalty nationwide, including in Ohio, where executions have been paused for years despite capital punishment remaining legal.
Here's what to know about Pike's condition, Ohio's death row and why executions in the Buckeye State are on hold.
Who is Christa Pike? What was she being executed for?
Christa Pike, 50, is the only woman on Tennessee's death row and was slated to become the first woman executed in the state in over 200 years.
Born in West Virginia in 1976, Pike had an extremely traumatic upbringing marked by violence, sexual abuse and substance abuse. Her attorneys say she developed severe mental illness as a result.
Pike was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, a fellow student at Job Corps, a federal job training program in Knoxville, Tennessee. Pike was 19 years old when the crime occurred and later became the youngest person on death row at age 21, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.
While in prison in 2001, Pike attempted to kill another incarcerated woman, Patricia Jones, by strangling her with a shoestring. She was convicted of attempted murder in 2004.
Christa Pike current condition
Tennessee officials had not publicly provided an update on Christa Pike's condition more than 28 hours after the botched execution attempt, according to USA TODAY.
However, Pike's attorney Randy Spivey said on Oct. 1 that she remained alive and in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital. As of 11:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 1, her condition had not changed, USA TODAY reported.
Will Christa Pike be executed again?
Spivey has called for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to commute her sentence immediately, per USA TODAY. The governor has since stayed her execution pending a third-party investigation, NBC reported.
Does Ohio have the death penalty?
Yes, Ohio still has the death penalty, but executions have been on hold for years under a de facto moratorium ordered by Gov. Mike DeWine.
The state's most recent execution was July 18, 2018, when Robert Van Hook was executed for the 1985 killing of David Self.
On June 16, 2026, DeWine called for an end to the death penalty, reversing his prior support. If Ohio legislators follow suit, Van Hook's execution may be the state's last.
How many people are on death row in Ohio?
According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's July 2026 fact sheet, 105 people were on Ohio's death row. Of those, 10 were sentenced in Hamilton County, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Ohio has carried out 56 executions since February 1999.
Why are death sentences paused in Ohio?
In the past, DeWine has cited the state's inability to obtain drugs for lethal injections as the main reason executions have been repeatedly postponed, according to the Associated Press.
Has anyone survived lethal injection before?
USA TODAY writes that Pike appears to be the first known person to have survived after execution drugs entered her body, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a non-profit group in Washington.
Contributing: Kaycee Sloan, The Cincinnati Enquirer; Evan Mealins, The Tennessean.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where Ohio's death penalty stands amid Christa Pike's failed execution
