Christa Pike was set to be executed on Sept. 30 after serving 30 years of her sentence for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer. She was accused of luring Slemmer into a wooded area, where Pike would then torture and kill her. Pike committed the crime with the help of her boyfriend and a classmate. This crime quickly gained national attention because of the violent details surrounding it.
One detail that stood out in this case is the fact that Pike crushed the victim’s skull and kept a piece as a “souvenir” that she would go on to show to her friends. Once she was sentenced to death, she became the youngest woman to receive that sentence in the United States. In 2001, Pike was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder after nearly strangling a fellow inmate to death. She was going to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years.
Her name stayed clear of the headlines for many years until these last few weeks with her looming execution. On the night of her scheduled execution, Pike was administered two doses of pentobarbital. Once the drugs were administered, it was clear that this execution was not normal. Media witnesses reported visible distress. Pike was complaining about pain in her arm. Once the injection began to take effect, many reported hearing snoring and other odd breathing noises. After a while, the prison staff closed the viewing curtains, but the witnesses remained there without seeing Pike, but still hearing her. Journalists in the room were very confused and demanded answers, but received none. They were escorted out shortly afterward. Once they were out, many saw ambulances arriving at the scene.
This is the second botched execution of the year in Tennessee, which raises a lot of worry and discussion about why this is an issue in the state. Once Pike arrived at the hospital, she was unconscious and left in critical condition. She was placed on a ventilator and life support, leading her attorneys to believe that she was brain-dead. Her attorneys went on to say that the state of Tennessee was warned about this execution failing because of certain conditions Pike had; she even requested to be executed by hanging instead, but this motion was denied. The defense team reported injuries to her arm and several health complications that came from the botched execution attempt. Her legal team decided to take her off life support once they believed she was brain-dead, but this choice took a dramatic turn when she unexpectedly woke up.
Pike left many shocked as she regained consciousness almost a week after her execution attempt. She woke up confused and asked, “Where am I?” and “Who are you?” There is a lot of confusion right now for her, and she is still receiving extensive medical care. Her attorneys stated this was “medically unprecedented,” and there is a lot of work coming soon with her case. As of right now, she is being treated for a blood clot in her arm and pneumonia. The complications that followed the failed execution will take time to treat, and her attorneys want to prioritize her physical and mental health. The latest update on her case is that her team has asked Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to change her sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole and that all evidence used in the execution be preserved. The case has raised questions and led to investigations into execution in Tennessee. This is only the start of a long journey ahead for the state of Tennessee and Christa Pike.