Botched US execution leaves murderer unconscious on ventilator: lawyers
Convicted murderer Christa Pike is unconscious and on a ventilator after a failed lethal-injection execution in Tennessee, prompting the state to halt executions for the rest of 2026 pending a review.
Christa Pike, a convicted murderer in the United States, is unconscious and on a ventilator following a failed execution attempt by lethal injection. Her lawyers informed a Tennessee court that the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer resulted in Pike remaining awake longer than expected after two doses of pentobarbital, before she was heard snoring.
She now remains critically ill at a Nashville-area hospital, intubated and unconscious. Pike's legal team claims that when they sought to halt the execution, state officials denied their request, arguing the department had no obligation to provide life-saving care. Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, expressed anger, stating the state owes her a big apology for failing her family.
The Tennessee Department of Corrections maintains they followed the state's lawful execution protocol, but Republican Governor Bill Lee halted all further executions following the incident. This was the second failed execution in Tennessee this year, with the first being Tony Carruthers in May. Pike's lawyers argue she should be granted clemency, citing her young age, mental health issues, history of childhood sexual assault, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Death Penalty Information Center described the event as the worst execution mishap seen in modern times. US President Donald Trump questioned the difficulty of executing someone, while UN rights chief Volker Turk urged Tennessee not to attempt the execution again.
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