Nancy Grace wants Christa Pike dead.
"I want to see the law carried out to the letter of the law," the popular true-crime host and former prosecutor said.
Grace hosted a panel discussion this week on her show "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace," asking if the electric chair, or "Old Sparky," as she called it, could be used in a second attempt by the state of Tennessee to execute Pike after lethal injection didn't work the first time.
Tennessean reporter Keith Sharon was part of the discussion, along with defense attorney Franz Borghardt, forensic psychologist Shari Schwartz, former Knoxville Chief of Police Phil Keith, professor Joseph Scott Morgan and investigative reporter Dave Mack.
Grace argued with Borghardt about what should happen to Pike. Borghardt said
attempting to execute Pike a second time would be cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution.
"The botched death penalty may give her a legal argument for life," Borghardt said.
Grace shot back, "Under our Constitution, the death penalty is not deemed cruel and unusual."
In her trademark bombastic style Grace called Pike "Sleeping Beauty," wiped away fake tears and labeled what happens next as "Death Chamber 2.0."
Pike was given two doses of pentobarbital on Sept. 30 but survived. and now she's back at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center awaiting what happens next.
And that uncertainty was the focus of Grace's show.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has put all executions on hold while the protocol is reviewed.
Pike has been in prison for 31 years since she killed her friend, Colleen Slemmer. Pike said she believed Slemmer was romantically interested in Pike's boyfriend. Pike beat Slemmer to death with a chunk of asphalt.
Pike's attorneys argued that Pike's veins were too small, and her body would have severe reactions to the injection. Pike's team argued in favor of a central line injection (straight into the jugular vein) or hanging as an alternative.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nancy Grace calls Christa Pike future 'death chamber 2.0'
