Execution of Tennessee woman appears to have failed: Witnesses

Tennessee authorities conducted a lethal injection execution on Wednesday that appears to have failed, according to witnesses and the convicted murderer's attorney. Christa Pike, a 19-year-old woman, was given two doses of the drug pentobarbital but was reportedly still breathing and making audible snoring noises, as reported by local media.

Investigative journalist John North of WBIR stated that they believed she was still alive when they left the facility. Tennessee corrections officials have not confirmed the outcome of the execution or responded to queries from AFP. Pike, who is the only woman on the state's death row, had undergone hours of legal procedures before the lethal injection was carried out.

Her legal counsel, Luke Ihnen, stated that there are no further appeals planned. The case has ignited discussions about the death penalty for juveniles, as Pike was 18 at the time of the crime. She was convicted alongside her boyfriend for the brutal murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, at a young people's job training camp. The incident gained national attention due to the victim's body being discovered with a pentagram carved into her chest.