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Tennessee Execution of Christa Pike Halted After Lethal Injections Fail
Just the facts
Tennessee correction officials halted the scheduled execution of 50-year-old Christa Pike on Wednesday after administering two separate lethal doses of pentobarbital. Defense attorneys filed an emergency motion stating that Pike survived the doses and was observed still breathing and snoring 40 minutes into the procedure. She was subsequently transferred to a hospital for emergency medical intervention. Pike is the only woman on death row in Tennessee, where no female inmate has been executed in approximately 200 years.
Why this is news
The state of Tennessee attempted to execute death row inmate Christa Pike, who was convicted of the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.
Developments timeline
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced a pause on all remaining executions scheduled in the state for the rest of the year following the failed lethal injection attempt of inmate Christa Pike.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.