Tennessee Execution of Christa Pike Fails

Christa Pike, 50, received two doses of pentobarbital at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville in an attempt to carry out her death sentence for the 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. The attempt failed. She gave a final statement saying she was at peace and it was a happy day, then raised her head to ask if her arm was supposed to feel that way. Reporter Tori Gessner said she heard Pike say her arm felt about to burst open. Witnesses reported loud snoring for an extended period after both doses, body writhing and lifting off the gurney, and legs moving in a swimming-stroke motion as curtains opened and closed. Lawyers called her still alive and snoring, then critically ill after she was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Gov. Bill Lee called the episode deeply disturbing, said there were very few answers that morning, and that the people of the state deserve those questions answered. He ordered an independent review and halted Tennessee's remaining 2026 executions. The Tennessee Department of Correction said it followed every step of the state's lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General's Office. May Martinez said it was a mess. Robin M. Maher of the Death Penalty Information Center called what happened singular and unparalleled. The Supreme Court had vacated a stay filed about an hour before the scheduled time. Pike would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years and the 30th person executed in the U.S. in 2026. What went wrong and her condition were not publicly resolved.