Tennessee’s attempt to execute Christa Pike on Tuesday night ended in a stunning failure after two attempts. Pike, now 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital during a lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. She would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.
Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of fellow Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville — a case that drew national attention for its brutality. Pike has never denied her role, while supporters point to her age at the time, her mental illness, and allegations of severe sexual abuse.
The execution proceeded only after a legal battle. A federal appeals court issued a stay, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it, clearing the way for the lethal injection. Pike had requested a firing squad, but that request was denied.
Witnesses say the execution team struggled for nearly an hour to establish an IV line. One of Pike’s attorneys counted at least seven needles in her left arm. Neither the initial nor backup dose killed her, and she was reportedly still snoring when officials cut off the chamber microphone more than an hour into the attempt. State officials have not confirmed the attorney’s account.
Governor Bill Lee called the failed execution “deeply disturbing” and ordered a third‑party investigation, halting all executions for the rest of the year. The Department of Correction insists it followed protocol, while the attorney general’s office says the governor’s review is appropriate.
Pike was taken to a hospital and, according to her lawyers, remains in critical condition. The state has not yet said what will happen next.