Full Breakdown
Botched Lethal Injection Leaves Tennessee Death Row Inmate Alive
By Drooid · · How we work
The Failed Execution
On September 30, Tennessee officials attempted to execute Christa Pike, the state’s sole woman on death row, with two syringes of pentobarbital at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Witnesses said Pike kept breathing, snoring loudly, and asked about pain in her arm. She was taken to an off-site medical facility and was still alive on October 1.
Background & Context
Pike was convicted in 1996 for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps trainee. Pike’s clemency petition was denied by Governor Bill Lee, and the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay on September 29, clearing the way for the execution.
Timeline
- January 12, 1995 – Pike allegedly lured Slemmer to a wooded area and killed her.
- 1996 – Pike sentenced to death; boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp received life.
- September 29 – Supreme Court rejected a stay.
- September 30 – Two doses of pentobarbital administered but did not cause death.
- October 1 – Pike transported to a hospital; condition undisclosed.
- December 3 – Governor Lee announced the remaining scheduled execution will not be carried out this year.
Data & Statistics
- Pike is the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and would have been the first woman executed in the state in more than 200 years.
- Women account for about 1 % of U.S. executions since 1976 (?18 of 1,683).
- The Death Penalty Information Center reported that in 2022 more than a third of U.S. executions were botched, with lethal injection having the highest failure rate.
- Seven inmates have survived attempts because teams could not establish IV access; Pike is the first known survivor after receiving the drugs.
Official Statements & Responses
District Judge Clifton L. Corker noted that medical personnel began providing care after an emergency motion filed by Pike’s lawyers.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights groups and death-penalty watchdogs cited the botched execution as evidence of systemic flaws. Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, called the incident “singular and unparalleled.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Media witnesses described curtains being closed and reopened, Pike asking whether her arm “was about to burst open,” and her snoring until the microphone was cut off. Investigative journalist John North said, “It appeared that this did not go like they thought it was supposed to go.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Tennessee officials have not explained why the pentobarbital doses failed. Dr. Joel Zivot, retained by Pike’s defense, suggested the drug may not have reached a lethal blood concentration because of “difficult vein access” and “degraded pentobarbital.” Reprieve’s Maya Foa pointed to a lack of transparency around the drug’s source and condition. No official medical report has been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Every time I think about it, I think about Colleen feeling that pain and trying to get up and run,” — May Martinez, mother of Colleen Slemmer
- “This event is the worst we’ve seen and unlike any other botched execution in the modern era,” — Robin Maher, Death Penalty Information Center
- “It's very possible that as a consequence of the delay of the beginning of resuscitation she will have a brain injury," Zivot said in an email.” — Zivot, Emory University School of Medicine
What’s Next
Governor Lee’s review will be conducted by an independent panel, and the execution scheduled for December 3 will not proceed this year. Legal analysts expect further litigation over Pike’s sentence and Tennessee’s lethal-injection protocol.