Christa Gail Pike, 50, pentobarbital during an attempted execution at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution on Sept. 30, 2026. Pike was later transported by ambulance to an off-site medical facility, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction and her attorneys.
Pike was scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m., but legal proceedings delayed the execution until Wednesday evening
Media witnesses reported that Pike remained responsive during portions of the procedure. The second dose was administered later in the process, and witnesses subsequently reported hearing Pike breathing and snoring.
Pike’s attorneys said in court filings that two syringes of the execution drug were administered but that she remained alive.
They sought emergency intervention while Pike was being taken her medical condition.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said it followed the state’s established execution protocol and that the protocol did not permit additional procedures beyond those carried out. The department confirmed Pike had been transported to an outside medical facility.
Criminal history: Pike was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps participant in Knoxville.
2001 of attempted first-degree murder for an assault on fellow inmate Patricia Jones while incarcerated.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee ordered a third-party review of the failed execution and halted the state’s remaining scheduled execution for 2026.
