What happened in failed execution of Christa Pike - and what next?

US convicted murderer Christa Pike is currently hospitalized and receiving life-saving measures after Tennessee authorities failed in their attempt to execute her by lethal injection. This incident has raised significant questions regarding the execution process, particularly concerning what went wrong and what the implications are for the future of the death penalty.

Christa Pike, 50, was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a crime committed alongside her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp. Pike was scheduled for execution on Wednesday evening, local time. The US Supreme Court allowed the injections to proceed at the last moment following a high-profile legal battle.

During the execution, Pike was administered two syringes of the drug pentobarbital. However, her legal team reported that the injections failed to stop her heartbeat, and she could still be heard snoring. The Tennessee Department of Correction defended its method, stating that "the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening." Notably, the state protocol does not clearly outline the steps to take if an inmate remains alive after receiving a second dose.

Medical experts have speculated on why the dosage given to Pike was non-fatal. Dr. Joel Zivot, a professor at Emory University School of Medicine, who was retained by Pike's legal team, suggested that she likely never achieved a sufficient blood level of pentobarbital to induce apnoea and cardiovascular failure. Following the failed execution, Pike was transported to an off-site medical facility, where her health status remains unclear as of Thursday morning.