
Christa Pike Survives — Can Tennessee Try Again?
Published: October 1, 2026
Duration: 36:07
Christa Pike survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her by lethal injection after receiving both doses authorized under the state's execution protocol.
Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, was scheduled to be executed for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer. But after the state administered pentobarbital twice, Pike remained alive and was eventually transported to a hospital.
Governor Bill Lee has now halted Tennessee's remaining executions for 2026 and ordered an independent review into what went wrong.
The case raises a major legal question: Can Tennessee attempt to execute Christa Pike again, or would another...