After receiving two doses of the lethal drug pentobarbital, Christa Pike survived her execution late on Sept. 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
The day leading up to Pike's botched execution had already been eventful due to hours of legal delays, which came to an end after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the stay of execution just before 6 p.m. Roughly an hour and a half later, media witnesses were called into the execution room to see Pike die.
Minutes after entering the room and seeing the pentobarbital administered, witnesses said they could still hear Pike breathing after officials closed the blinds. When the blinds were lifted again, Pike was still breathing and snoring, according
to witnesses.
With Pike still breathing, the blinds closed again, and just under an hour later, media witnesses were escorted out of the room. Before Pike's microphone was cut, media witnesses said they could still hear her breathing as they were leaving the room.
What happens if Pike survives her execution attempt? What we know.
What happens after Christa Pike survives botched execution?
For now, Pike's execution is not expected to resume. "There will be a stay of hers and all executions under my watch through the end of the year going forward," Gov. Bill Lee said to reporters during a media availability event on Oct. 1.
Lee ordered a third-party review of what went wrong, postponing any executions until that process is through.
Pike's future could also be decided in court, with judges weighing whether Tennessee can legally attempt another execution and what impact the failed procedure will have on her death sentence.
Pike's attorneys filed an emergency motion in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to halt and stay her execution. "Ms. Pike has not lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat and is audibly snoring," they wrote.
"Tonight the State of Tennessee once again failed to carry out a lawful execution," the attorneys said the night of the execution.
"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."
What is Christa Pike's condition after surviving her failed execution?
Pike's status and location were unclear early on Oct. 1, as neither the Tennessee Department of Corrections nor Gov. Lee's office responded to USA TODAY's request for an update.
What did Gov. Bill Lee do after Christa Pikes execution?
Shortly before midnight CT on Sept. 30, Lee said he is opening an investigation into what went wrong during Pike's botched execution. The review will be carried out by an unrevealed third-party, according to USA TODAY and Tennessean reporting.
Lee alsopostponed the remaining executions in 2026, seemingly delaying the execution of Gary Wayne Sutton on Dec. 3.
Prior to Pike's execution, the Tennessee Department of Correction also failed to execute Tony Carruthers in May after personnel were unable to establish IV access. The procedure was called off after multiple unsuccessful attempts and Lee granted Carruthers a one-year reprieve, meaning he remains on death row while the state determines next step.
What did Christa Pike do?
Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. Prosecutors said Pike, who was 18 at the time, and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, kidnapped, tortured and killed Slemmer.
After bragging about the murder and touting a piece of Slemmer's skull to other students, officials arrested Pike three days later.
Kirsten Fiscus, Evan Mealins, Keith Sharon and Molly Davis of The Tennessean all contributed to this report.
Peter Burditt covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact him at PBurditt@nashvill.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Did Christa Pike survive lethal injection execution in Tennessee? What happens next
