Emergency call records have unveiled the chaos that ensued among prison staff and emergency call handlers following the botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee last month. Pike, 50, was convicted for the murder of Colleen Slemmer in 1995 and was administered two doses of lethal injection on September 30. When it became evident that she was not succumbing to the dosage, she was transported to a hospital.
Confusion Among Staff
The confusion stemmed from a disconnect among prison staff, as reported by the AP news agency, which first obtained the audio of the emergency calls. This miscommunication allegedly delayed Pike's medical treatment. The BBC has reached out to the state corrections department for comments, but they have yet to disclose their assessment of the execution attempt.
Pike's legal team suggested that the pentobarbital used in the lethal injection may have spread under her skin instead of entering her bloodstream in a lethal quantity. Although Pike has been discharged from the hospital, her legal team warned that she faces a "long road to recovery." It remains unclear what treatment, if any, she is receiving now that she is back in prison.
Unique Circumstances
Pike's case is unprecedented, as she is believed to be the only individual to have survived an execution attempt by lethal injection. Colleen Slemmer's mother, who advocated for Pike's execution, criticized the failed attempt as a "mess." Pike's boyfriend at the time of the murder, Tadaryl Shipp, is still incarcerated but was spared the death penalty due to being a minor at the time of the crime.
