CALGARY — A Tennessee death row inmate remains alive after receiving two doses of a lethal injection drug during an execution that failed to kill her.Christa Gail Pike, 50, was transported to an off-site medical facility Wednesday night after Tennessee officials attempted to carry out her death sentence at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.Pike's attorneys said she remained alive and could be heard snoring after two rounds of pentobarbital were administered. The Tennessee Department of Correction later confirmed she had been taken to a medical facility.Her condition remained unclear Thursday morning. Her attorneys said they had not been informed of her condition after she was transported from the prison.The Tennessee Department of Correction maintained that officials followed the state's established execution procedure.“The Tennessee Department of Correction followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office,” the department said in a statement..Officials added that the lethal injection chemical used under the protocol “has consistently been effective” and said the procedure does not permit additional measures beyond those carried out Wednesday night.Pike had originally been scheduled to die Wednesday morning for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.A federal appeals court halted the execution about an hour before it was scheduled to begin, but the U.S. Supreme Court later lifted the stay, clearing the way for Tennessee to proceed.Media witnesses were brought into the viewing area at approximately 7:27 p.m., where Pike was seen strapped to a gurney.Witnesses described an unusual and at times confusing scene as the execution proceeded.At one point, Pike reportedly raised her head and questioned officials about her arm. WSMV reported that one witness recalled Pike saying her vein felt as though it was “about to bust.”Witnesses also said curtains covering the execution chamber's viewing window were repeatedly closed, temporarily blocking their view of what officials were doing inside.By approximately 8:26 p.m., witnesses were told that a second dose of pentobarbital had been administered, but Pike remained alive.Journalists reported hearing Pike apparently breathing or snoring after the second dose. One witness, WKRN reporter Tori Gessner, said she had previously observed five executions in Tennessee and that “nothing about today was normal.”.The state's lethal injection protocol provides for a second set of drug syringes if an inmate remains alive following the first round. However, it does not specify additional procedures if the inmate remains alive after the second round.Pike's lawyers have alleged that the attempted execution involved problems including difficult vein access, blown veins and degraded pentobarbital. Those allegations have not been independently established, and state officials have defended the execution team's actions and the effectiveness of the drug.The failed execution has now prompted Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to order a “comprehensive, third-party review” to determine what happened. Lee also halted Tennessee's remaining scheduled execution for 2026.“Carrying out a lawfully imposed sentence is among the State’s most serious responsibilities, and the people of Tennessee expect it to be done in a manner that is not only legal and constitutional, but is effective,” Lee said..Prosecutors said Pike believed Slemmer was interested in her boyfriend and helped lure the 19-year-old to a wooded area, where she was beaten and killed. Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.Pike has acknowledged responsibility for the killing while seeking clemency. Her lawyers had argued that factors including her age at the time of the crime, mental health history and childhood abuse should be considered. Slemmer's family opposed clemency.Had the execution been completed, Pike would have become the first woman executed by Tennessee in more than 200 years.Wednesday's events also came months after Tennessee was unable to execute another death row inmate. In May, officials abandoned the scheduled execution of Tony Carruthers after being unable to establish the necessary IV access.As of publication, Pike remains alive, while the circumstances surrounding the failed execution are under review.
