Two days after a failed lethal injection in Tennessee, Christa Pike remains unconscious and on a ventilator, according to her lawyers who spoke Friday. The woman, 50, was scheduled to become the first woman executed in the state since the 1800s following a ruling from the Supreme Court allowing her execution to move forward.
From the beginning, things went wrong with the execution. According to her lawyers, Pike “remains critically ill,” has been placed under medical care at a hospital near Nashville. The Tennessee Department of Correction’s IV team attempted to carry out the procedure using at least seven needles, and one needle was found to be bent at a 90-degree angle when it was withdrawn from her body.
Throughout the procedure, Pike was crying, whimpering and breathing heavily. Her comments included remarks that her arm felt “like it’s about to burst open”, and she asked “does this happen like that?”.
The Needle Count
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Attempt count | At least seven needles used |
| Bent needle | Found at a 90-degree angle |
| Execution date | Carried out Wednesday |
| Hospital arrival | Both arms swollen, burned and blistered |
The Blood Condition
Before her execution, Pike told the state about a blood condition that made the lethal injection process more difficult to carry out. She had also pointed out a history of medical professionals having trouble finding veins and placing IVs.
Pentobarbital can cause burns to the skin and other tissue if it leaks out of the veins, according to experts and Pike’s attorneys. The Tennessee Department of Correction IV team did not seem to realize that IVs were not correctly placed or that the veins had blown, causing pentobarbital to enter Pike’s body.
Her lawyers say the execution team gave the second dose of pentobarbital instead of fixing the problem. They argue that the botched execution shows TDOC failed to properly place or maintain IV lines.
The Legal Fight
The new court filing requests an order requiring the Tennessee Department of Correction to “protect and preserve all evidence related to the State’s failed attempt” to execute Pike on Wednesday. Hospital staff are working to save her life and clear the pentobarbital from her system.
One of Pike’s lawyers, Luke Ihnen, made a statement, which began with these words: “We are working closely with those closest to Christa to respect her wishes, safeguard her privacy and protect her rights as a patient during this extraordinarily difficult time.”.
Pike’s lawyers previously called the botched execution “cruel,” “torturous” and “predictable.” Attorney Randy Spivey told reporters Thursday: “The state of Tennessee has shown us again that they are not capable of carrying out an execution consistent with basic human dignity.”
Spivey has called on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to commute Pike’s sentence. Lee has ordered a “comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what happened.”
The Crime
Colleen Slemmer was a former classmate of Pike’s at the Job Corps Center in Knoxville, where both women were students. Court records show that Pike, then 18, tortured and killed Slemmer in what authorities say was retaliation for remarks Slemmer, 19, made about Pike’s relationship. Pike received a death sentence for the 1995 killing.
The Outcome
A malfunctioning execution has rendered Pike unconscious, with a machine now doing her breathing for her. Her legal representatives are working to safeguard her privacy and her rights as a patient. The state’s examination into the matter continues.
This particular instance brings into question whether the state of Tennessee can conduct executions in a manner consistent with fundamental human decency.
See the video the story is built around at CBS News.
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