Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is in critical condition and receiving life-saving care at a hospital after surviving two lethal injection attempts on Wednesday, according to her legal team. The botched execution attempt has prompted Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to halt all executions in the state for the remainder of the year and launch an independent investigation.
Pike, 50, was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Pike was 18 years old when she and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, killed Slemmer. Her planned execution on Wednesday followed a last-minute legal battle.
According to Pike’s attorney Randy Spivey, the execution team spent an hour attempting to establish an IV line. Spivey stated that he counted at least seven needles used in Pike’s left arm alone, with one needle appearing bent when removed after an unsuccessful attempt.
Despite being injected with two lethal doses of pentobarbital, Pike remained alive. Spivey stated that observers were held in a dark room behind a closed curtain after the second dose had been administered, while it remained clear that Pike was still breathing minutes later. Pike was subsequently transported to a hospital by ambulance.
“We don’t have a sense of her prognosis or much update on her health at the moment,” Spivey told reporters on Thursday, adding that “we do know that she is alive right now.”
Following the failed execution, Pike’s defense team has asked Governor Lee to commute her death sentence, a request that had previously been denied. Stephen Ferrell, another attorney representing Pike, stated that the legal team is reviewing further options once Pike recovers sufficiently to consult on the proceedings.
Governor Lee confirmed Thursday that he has ordered a thorough independent review of the state’s execution procedures, noting that the inquiry “will be thorough” and “is going to take time.” Lee did not immediately specify who would head the independent review. The governor’s order placing all state executions on hold will impact scheduled dates, including an execution previously set for December 3.
May Martinez, the mother of Colleen Slemmer, had traveled to Tennessee to witness the execution. Following the failed procedure, Martinez told NBC News that “it was a mess.”
Sources
– BBC News World: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmn4540d4z87o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Source: BBC News World
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Story synopsis gathered from: BBC News World — source
