Death Row Woman Survives Lethal Injection — Twice

A Tennessee execution was halted after death row inmate Christa Gail Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during a lethal injection procedure in Nashville. Pike, 50, had been scheduled to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. She was convicted in the 1995 murder of her classmate, Colleen Slemmer.

The attempted execution quickly raised questions after witnesses reported that Pike remained alive well after the drugs were administered. According to media witnesses and court filings from her defense team, Pike continued breathing and remained responsive during portions of the procedure.

Witnesses reportedly heard Pike ask whether her arm was supposed to be “burning” after the injection began. Her breathing later became irregular, while loud snoring could reportedly be heard for an extended period behind closed curtains.

Officials ultimately administered two doses of pentobarbital under Tennessee’s single-drug execution procedure. Despite the additional dose, Pike continued breathing and occasionally lifted her head, according to accounts cited in court filings.

Prison officials eventually stopped the execution attempt and transferred Pike to an outside hospital at approximately 8:53 p.m. Pentobarbital is a powerful short-acting barbiturate that depresses activity in the central nervous system.

The medication has historically been used for purposes including seizure treatment, sedation and medically induced comas, although newer medications have largely replaced barbiturates in routine hospital care.

In lethal injection procedures, much larger quantities of pentobarbital are used than would normally be administered in a medical setting.

When the drug properly enters the bloodstream at a sufficiently high dose, it is intended to produce unconsciousness, suppress breathing and ultimately lead to cardiac arrest. Exactly why Pike survived has not been determined.

One possibility discussed in medical literature is IV infiltration, which occurs when an intravenous line shifts and medication enters surrounding tissue instead of flowing directly into a vein.

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That can cause the drug to be absorbed much more slowly and potentially prevent it from reaching a lethal concentration in the bloodstream.

Other possible factors include differences in metabolism or tolerance, as well as questions involving the potency, storage or consistency of compounded pentobarbital.

However, officials have not confirmed that any of those factors caused the problems in Pike’s case.

The Tennessee Department of Correction has maintained that staff followed the state’s established protocol and that the chemicals used during the procedure had been verified.

The incident has now prompted a broader review of Tennessee’s execution system. Gov. Bill Lee halted the state’s remaining executions while an independent investigation examines what went wrong.

Pike remained under medical observation following the failed execution attempt. The episode is also expected to fuel additional legal challenges over whether Tennessee can make another attempt to execute her after the unsuccessful procedure.