Tennessee halts executions through 2026 after botched injection

Tennessee halted executions scheduled for the rest of 2026 and ordered an independent review after two lethal-injection doses failed to execute Christa Pike. The episode has renewed scrutiny of execution procedures and raised questions about whether Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could pause an upcoming execution: Jamaal Howard is scheduled to be executed Oct. 7 using pentobarbital, the same drug used in Tennessee. Texas law allows the governor to grant a reprieve of up to 30 days, while a longer delay would require action by the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Howard’s legal team is also seeking a stay based on his claimed intellectual disability.