2 Lethal Injections Failed on Tennessee Inmate Christa Pike

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike was taken to a hospital after an execution attempt using two lethal injections failed to kill her, according to her attorney and BBC News.

What happened at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution?

The attempted execution took place at the Nashville prison at roughly 8 p.m. local time on Wednesday, BBC News reported, citing the Associated Press. Pike's legal team filed an emergency motion to halt the procedure as it was underway, stating she "has lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat and is audibly snoring." One of her attorneys told the BBC that Pike, 50, was "being provided life-saving measures" at an off-site medical facility after two syringes of pentobarbital had been administered.

Why did the execution stop after two doses?

Tennessee's execution protocol calls for a second set of syringes if the first does not result in death, but it does not specify a procedure for cases where the inmate remains alive after the second set, according to the Associated Press as cited by the BBC. Witnesses said the curtain to the viewing room was closed twice during the process, and media were asked to leave at one point.

By the numbers

• Doses of pentobarbital administered: 2
• Pike's age: 50
• Year Pike was sentenced to death: 1996
• Prior Tennessee execution halted in 2026 for inability to find a vein: 1 (Tony Carruthers, May)

What crime was Christa Pike convicted of?

Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 at the time, and prosecutors said she and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, beat, tortured and killed Slemmer, whom they had met at a job-training camp for troubled teens, according to the BBC. Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, had pushed for the execution to proceed and told NBC News afterward, "It was a mess."

What happens next for Pike and Tennessee's death penalty process?

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said he has ordered "a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred," according to a statement reported by U.S. media and cited by the BBC. Lee also said the state's last scheduled execution of the year would not proceed as planned. The U.S. Supreme Court had allowed the lethal injections to go forward following a last-minute legal challenge from Pike's attorneys.

How has Tennessee responded to the failed execution?

The Tennessee Department of Correction defended its handling of the attempt. "The Tennessee Department of Correction followed every step of the State's lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General's Office," spokesperson Dorinda Carter told the Tennessean, as reported by the BBC. Carter added that "the lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening," and confirmed Pike had been transported to an off-site medical facility. The incident follows a May 2026 case in which Tennessee postponed the execution of Tony Carruthers after staff could not find a usable vein, the BBC noted.