Tennessee Execution of Christa Pike Fails; Governor Cancels Remaining 2026 Execution
Tennessee's attempt to put Christa Pike to death failed on Wednesday night, and she was still receiving hospital care on Thursday, according to officials. Pike, the only woman under a death sentence in the state, was given two doses of lethal drugs but survived. She was subsequently taken by the state to a medical facility away from the prison for treatment.
The unsuccessful effort came just months after Tennessee halted the execution of another death row prisoner, Tony Carruthers, because those carrying out the procedure could not obtain the intravenous line needed.
Governor Bill Lee announced that the state's last remaining execution date for 2026 would no longer proceed and requested that an independent party examine the matter. Lawyers representing Pike said they had received no information about how she is doing.
Based on historical records, Pike had been set to become the first woman put to death by Tennessee in over two centuries.
Carruthers, convicted in 1994 of kidnapping and killing three people, had his lethal injection stopped in May. Executioners spent more than an hour attempting without success to insert an IV so that pentobarbital could be given.
Afterward, Carruthers' sister, Dr. Tonya Hervey, submitted a complaint to the Tennessee Department of Health. She alleged that the botched execution left her brother with serious injuries.
Hervey said she thinks Carruthers had a stroke that caused partial paralysis, and she described him as having been in severe pain while the procedure was underway. She claimed that medical staff tried several different ways to get access before the execution was stopped roughly 90 minutes later.
In her complaint, Hervey stated that Carruthers has lost the use of his right hand, has to drag his right leg when he walks, and has gone through shifts in his balance, personality and ability to think.
The Tennessee Department of Health said it examines complaints and sets their priority according to how serious the alleged violation is, after which they are forwarded to a regional office for investigation.
Dr. Mark Walton Fowler, a Tennessee Department of Corrections physician who was part of the failed attempt to execute Carruthers, had also been slated to take part in Pike's execution, according to NBC News.
Questions have been raised about the part Fowler played in the Carruthers attempt. Hervey's complaint to the Tennessee Department of Health accused him of malpractice and torture, alleging that he had difficulty establishing additional access before the execution was stopped.
The Tennessee Department of Corrections has not said whether Fowler took part in Pike's execution or whether his duties were changed after the Carruthers attempt did not succeed.
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.