Christa Pike, convicted of murdering a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, three decades ago, survived Tennessee's effort to execute her by means of an unprecedented two lethal injections, prison officials said. This was the state's first attempted execution of a woman in 200 years. 'At one point … she said, "my arm feels like it's about to burst open",' said Tori Gessner, a news anchor for ABC affiliate WKRN, who witnessed the attempted execution, before adding 'then she smiles really big'. Other journalists present described Pike snoring, exhaling loudly and gasping. The WPLN health reporter Catherine Sweeney said the state's protocol had no rules for what should happen should a dose fail to work a second time. Pike was taken to an off-site medical facility for treatment and is still alive
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Witnesses recount Christa Pike's survival of two lethal injections – video
Christa Pike, convicted of murdering a classmate, Colleen Slemmer, three decades ago, survived Tennessee's effort to execute her by means of an unprecedented two lethal injections, prison officials said. This was the state's first attempted execution of a woman in 200 years. 'At one point … she said, "my arm feels like it's about to burst open",' said Tori Gessner, a news anchor for ABC affiliate WKRN, who witnessed the attempted execution, before adding 'then she smiles really big'. Other journalists present described Pike snoring, exhaling loudly and gasping. The WPLN health reporter Catherine Sweeney said the state's protocol had no rules for what should happen should a dose fail to work a second time. Pike was taken to an off-site medical facility for treatment and is still alive Tennessee woman on death row taken to hospital after surviving two lethal injections Continue reading...
The Guardian · US news · Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 3:47 AM
US news | The Guardian

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