Tennessee cancels executions after Christa Pike survives botched lethal injection, tell me about this news today
02-10-2026
Tennessee has halted all scheduled executions for the remainder of the year after 50-year-old Christa Pike survived a botched execution attempt by lethal injection.
The GuardianThe Execution AttemptWhat happened: Prison officials administered two separate doses of the lethal barbiturate pentobarbital. Nearly an hour after the procedure began, Pike remained alive, had not lost consciousness, was still breathing, and was heard audibly snoring.
CBS NewsWitness accounts: Media witnesses noted that curtains to the execution chamber were closed and reopened multiple times. At one point, Pike reportedly stated that her arm felt like it was going to burst, indicating potential vein infiltration or delivery issues.
CBS NewsImmediate response: Prison authorities officially aborted the procedure, citing that state protocols do not permit additional doses beyond what was administered. Pike was removed from the chamber by ambulance and transported to a nearby hospital for emergency medical treatment.
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Executions suspended: Following the failure, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced an immediate pause on all remaining executions in the state through the rest of the year.
The GuardianIndependent review ordered: The governor ordered an outside investigation into the state’s lethal injection procedures, protocols, and chemical administration to determine how the failure occurred. This marks Tennessee’s second major execution disruption this year involving vein access or drug delivery complications.
The conviction: Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer at a Knoxville job training center. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime and 20 when sentenced, making her one of the youngest women ever sent to death row in the United States.
The Guardian+ 1Historical context: She is the only woman on death row in Tennessee. Had the procedure been completed, she would have been the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years (since 1820).
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