After Pike's Botched Execution, Tennessee Puts the Brakes On

After Tennessee proved unable to put death row inmate Christa Pike to death, Gov. Bill Lee has temporarily closed the door to the state's execution chamber. On Thursday, Lee ordered a "comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what happened" during the attempted execution of Pike and canceled the state's remaining 2026 execution date, reports WSMV. Lee said that "carrying out a lawfully imposed sentence is among the State's most serious responsibilities, and the people of Tennessee expect it to be done in a manner that is not only legal and constitutional, but is effective," per the AP. Pike was given two syringes of pentobarbital Wednesday night, but her attorneys said she was "still alive and snoring," triggering an emergency bid to stop the procedure.

Officials say the Department of Correction followed its approved protocol and that the drug has been reliably effective, though the failed attempt follows another botched execution effort in May, when staff couldn't secure an IV line for inmate Tony Carruthers for over an hour. The same doctor oversaw both procedures. Tennessee has not announced how or when it will next try to execute Pike.