NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (WOKI / WVLT) The attempted execution of Christa Gail Pike has become the center of an escalating legal battle after defense attorneys alleged the Tennessee death row inmate remained alive after receiving two doses of lethal injection drugs Wednesday night.
According to Luke Ihnen, an assistant federal defender representing Pike, the inmate was administered two syringes containing Tennessee’s execution drug but survived the procedure. Pike’s legal team subsequently filed an emergency motion seeking an immediate stay of the execution and emergency medical treatment.
The emergency filing alleges Pike never lost consciousness and continued to exhibit signs of life after the drugs were administered. Attorneys claim she maintained a heartbeat and was audibly snoring during the execution attempt. The motion further argues that Pike was subjected to unnecessary suffering and requests immediate court intervention.
Witnesses reported a confusing sequence of events inside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. According to accounts from those present, curtains covering the execution chamber were lowered twice during the procedure, preventing witnesses from observing portions of what was occurring inside. Media witnesses later reported Pike was still alive when they were escorted from the viewing area around 8:53 p.m. Central Time.
Witnesses also reported hearing Pike complain that her arm felt as though it was about to burst and that one area was throbbing during the IV process. Later, several witnesses described hearing what they characterized as heavy snoring coming from the execution chamber.
The developments come after a day of dramatic court rulings. Less than an hour before Pike’s originally scheduled execution Wednesday morning, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay. Tennessee appealed that ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately vacated the stay and allowed the execution to proceed Wednesday evening.
The events are likely to reignite scrutiny of Tennessee’s execution procedures. Earlier this year, the state abandoned the planned execution of Tony Carruthers after officials were unable to establish IV access despite more than an hour of attempts. Reports indicate Mark Fowler, who was involved in the Carruthers execution attempt, also oversaw Pike’s execution procedure.
In August, Tennessee successfully carried out the execution of Anthony Darrell Hines at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. However, that same month Pike’s attorneys argued during court hearings that she suffered from a vein condition that could complicate the administration of lethal injection drugs.
Pike was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, a fellow student in the Knoxville Job Corps program. Prosecutors said Pike conspired with Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson to kill Slemmer during a jealousy-driven attack. Evidence presented during the case showed a pentagram had been carved into the victim’s chest and a portion of her skull was taken after the killing.
As of the latest reports, the Tennessee Department of Correction had not publicly confirmed Pike’s death or announced what actions it may take next regarding the execution attempt.
