Tennessee's head of prisons is to resign over the failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike. Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada said in a statement to CBS that he is to stand down for 'in the best interests' after the move was announced by Governor Bill Lee.
An investigation has been launched into how Pike, who was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, survived two lethal injections. She is now in critical condition at a Tennessee hospital. Strada called the investigation into the failed procedure 'entirely appropriate and necessary'.
Botched lethal injection details
On Wednesday, two doses of lethal injection pentobarbital were administered to Pike, 50. Her lawyers are now reported to be seeking to commute her sentence. In a court filing, her attorneys said they believe problems with the IV lines caused the fatal drug to flow into her body instead of her bloodstream.
They wrote: 'Apparently, at no point did any member of the execution team realise that the IV lines were not correctly placed or that the veins had blown and that the pentobarbital was, in whole or in part, entering Ms. Pike's body.' Rather than 'remedying this failure', they said, authorities prepared and administered a backup set of pentobarbital syringes.
The execution team spent an hour administering the drugs to no avail, with defence lawyer Randy Spivey saying he counted at least seven needles in her arm. Pike was audibly snoring and gurgling, as heard on the chamber's microphone, and also complained of pain, journalists who witnessed the failed execution reported. At one point, she remarked, 'My arm feels like it's about to burst open,' then asked, 'Does this happen like that?' She also kicked her feet repeatedly, knocking off the sheets placed over her.
Governor orders review
The State's governor, Republican Bill Lee, has ordered 'a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred' following the botched procedure. 'Tennesseans deserve a justice system that is fair, that's consistent, [and] that is faithfully administered,' Lee said. 'My responsibility is to uphold the sentences that Tennessee juries have handed down, even when it's difficult, and that is exactly what we intend to do in the days ahead.'
A spokesperson for the Department of Correction insisted that 'every step of the State's lawful, established execution protocol' is approved by the Attorney General's Office. They said 'the lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective'.
In the aftermath, Pike's execution was postponed indefinitely, as was another execution scheduled for later this year. She previously requested to be executed by a firing squad, but that is not provided to inmates in Tennessee. The electric chair is the second option.
Background of the case
In 1995, Pike – then aged 18 – and her boyfriend at the time, Tadaryl Shipp, tortured and murdered Colleen Slemmer, 19, in Knoxville, Tennessee. A forensic psychologist working for Pike's defence, Dr Bethany Brand, who assessed her in 2023, said she suffered from bipolar disorder and PTSD due to horrific sexual abuse she suffered throughout her childhood. 'Her childhood was replete with physical, sexual and emotional abuse. She was sexually violated by a number of men, starting before she was school age,' Dr Brand said.
