After failed lethal injection, will Christa Pike have a second execution date? Here's what the Tennessee governor says

Christa Pike survived Tennessee’s attempt to execute her in September, but her legal fight may be far from over. After the failed lethal injection, Gov. Bill Lee says he expects her death sentence to remain in place unless the courts decide otherwise. Pike has since returned to prison after spending days in hospital. Her attorneys are preparing to challenge any future execution attempt, while the state reviews what went wrong.

Will Tennessee set another execution date for Christa Pike?

Bill Lee was asked whether Tennessee would try to execute Pike again or whether he might commute her sentence to life in prison. His response suggested that her death sentence is not automatically being reconsidered.


“As it related to a particular individual like Christa Pike and her crime, she’s still incarcerated under the laws of the State of Tennessee,” Lee said. “I suspect her sentence will be the same as before unless determined otherwise by the courts.” The inputs are taken from a report by WSMV4.

Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of her 19-year-old classmate, Colleen Slemmer. On September 30, Tennessee attempted to execute her using pentobarbital. She survived two doses of the drug, and officials eventually stopped the procedure.

According to CNN, her attorneys have warned that the state has made no promise to rule out another attempt. If officials decide to proceed, the Tennessee attorney general would have to ask the state Supreme Court to set a new execution date.

What happened to Christa Pike after the failed execution?

Christa Pike spent several days in hospital and was initially reported to be in critical condition. She has since returned to prison and is now able to walk independently and speak in full sentences.

In a statement released by her attorneys and shared with PEOPLE, Pike described the physical and emotional effects of the experience.

“Several days later I woke up alone in a hospital confused and in pain,” she said. “There hasn’t been a moment since that night when I haven’t been in pain. My body hurts. My arms hurt. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still struggle to speak. And the pain isn’t just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul.”

She also said she was “deeply hurt by the incompetence” surrounding the failed execution.

“I don’t know why I survived that night,” Pike said. “I don’t know what comes next. Some days, finding hope is harder than others. For now, I am trying to heal, one day at a time. And I am holding on to the love and kindness of so many people who have reminded me that I am not alone.”

Could her lawyers prevent a second attempt?

Pike’s legal team is preparing to challenge another execution. CNN reported that her attorneys have raised possible constitutional arguments, including double jeopardy and protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Legal experts say the fact that the lethal drugs entered Pike’s body could make her case different from earlier failed executions. They also point to the pain and psychological trauma she experienced.

Her attorneys have asked for evidence from the execution to be preserved as they prepare for a potentially lengthy legal battle.

Execution review leaves Tennessee's next move uncertain

Governor Bill Lee has paused executions through the end of the year while an independent review examines the failed procedure, as per WBAL TV. Frank Strada, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, is also stepping down this month following the incident. For now, no second execution date has been announced. Whether Pike faces another attempt could depend on the courts, the outcome of the review and possible action by the governor.