Christa Pike was supposed to be the first woman Tennessee executed in 200 years. Instead she’s in a hospital and nobody will say how she’s doing

Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, was set to become the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years. Tennessee officials were unable to carry out the execution on Wednesday night after the process did not result in her death, according to CBS News. State officials then transported Pike to a nearby hospital as she still had a heartbeat. The attempt took place at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.

According to media witnesses, authorities appeared to administer two doses of pentobarbital. However, more than 40 minutes after the final dose, Christa Pike remained awake and was heard snoring. An Associated Press reporter who served as a media witness recounted that at one point during the procedure, Pike looked toward prison officials and asked if it was supposed to feel that way. The reporter also noted that Pike’s mouth fell open a few times before she began snoring loudly.

When officials told media witnesses to exit the area, Christa Pike could still be heard snoring. Another media witness said that after the curtain closed for the final time, he could hear doors opening and closing. He noted that her lawyers and spiritual adviser were seen entering and exiting the chamber until the microphone was eventually cut off.

Pike was still snoring when witnesses were told to leave the room

In response, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who denied Pike’s clemency request days earlier, ordered a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred. He also called off the remaining scheduled execution in Tennessee for this year. In its statement, the Tennessee Department of Correction said it followed every step of the state’s lawful, established execution protocol.

The department claimed the chemical used in the protocol has consistently been effective and that the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out. Pike’s attorneys filed an emergency motion with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee as the event unfolded. In the motion, they stated that Christa Pike had not lost consciousness and still had a heartbeat.

In a later statement provided to the outlet, her legal team said that the state failed to carry out a lawful execution. They cited concerns regarding difficult vein access, blown veins, and the use of what they described as degraded pentobarbital. They also noted that no emergency medical care was available when the situation went wrong. The execution had been on hold for most of the day as the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a short stay an hour before the scheduled start.

The Supreme Court later overrode that order and ruled that the execution of Christa Pike could proceed. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. Pike has been incarcerated since 1995 for the murder of her former classmate, Colleen Slemmer. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime, which took place at the Job Corps Center in Knoxville.

She was sentenced to death in 1996 at the age of 20, making her the youngest woman sent to death row in the modern era of US capital punishment. Her attorneys have challenged her sentence based on her history of childhood abuse and mental health conditions. However, the state has continued to pursue the execution.

As of late Wednesday, the state had not provided specific details regarding her condition or the name of the hospital where she is being treated. Christa Pike’s death sentence still stands, though any new attempt would likely have to wait, as Lee has halted executions to allow time for the review.