Botched execution survivor in Tennessee, US returns to prison
WASHINGTON: Convicted murderer Christa Pike, who survived a botched execution attempt in the US state of Tennessee last week, has been discharged from hospital and returned to prison, her lawyers said on Saturday. Pike, 50, was given two doses of the drug pentobarbital on Sept 30 — a usually fatal dose that nevertheless failed to kill her. She was transported to hospital in critical condition but…
WASHINGTON: Once a convicted murderer, Christa Pike has returned to prison following a botched execution attempt in the US state of Tennessee. The 50-year-old survived a lethal dose of the drug pentobarbital on September 30, 2026, remaining in critical condition at a hospital before regaining consciousness. She was transferred to Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Centre, where she has been housed for over three decades, according to her lawyers' statement.
Pike, now walking around albeit in a "foggy" mental state, is grateful to the first responders and her medical team for their care. She continues to receive medical treatment at the prison, with her lawyers promising to monitor her recovery. Pike's conviction stems from her and her boyfriend's beating and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer at a job training camp when Pike was just 18. The botched execution led to days of legal disputes that ultimately reached the Supreme Court.
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