Independent inquiry ordered after failed execution of Pike, who was convicted of 1994 murder
Tennessee’s governor on Thursday said it was “deeply disturbing” that his state botched the execution of a death row prisoner who remained alive and snoring 40 minutes after receiving a double dose of the lethal drug that should have quickly killed her.
Bill Lee, a Republican, has suspended all executions in the state until at least the end of the year and ordered an independent inquiry after Wednesday night’s failed attempt to put to death Christa Pike, who was convicted of murder, at the execution chamber in Nashville.
Meanwhile, Pike, 50, remained in the hospital on Thursday afternoon. “We don’t have a sense of her prognosis or much update on her health at the moment, but we do know that she is alive right now and receiving life-saving medical care,” Randy Spivey, one of her attorneys, said at an afternoon press conference.
So not just medical observation but life-saving measures…?
I am against the death penalty, but honestly I think both may be the worst choice you could have made?
Killing is wrong so we’re going to kill you, but oops we messed up killing you so now you must have your life saved, presumably so we can kill you again.
What the fuck?
This is the white bear episode of black mirror in real life.
Her brain is probably fried so if they do try again they will be killing a veggie.
I don’t think a doctor at a hospital gets to change her level of care just because her patient is condemned to death.
Yeah but if you’re deliberately killing someone, why would you rush them to a hospital after you failed miserably and left them in a critical condition? So you can try again later?
For fucks sake, what a horrible situation. Just abolish the death penalty already.
Imagine waking up in the hospital where they have to get you healthy enough to discharge in order to send you back to death row
Imagine being held in prison for 30 years, knowing there’s no way out and you’re gonna be executed, and then when that day comes, they put you through torture by asphyxiation for 40 minutes, to then rush you to the hospital, so you can be saved and they repeat it again.
Yeah, pretty much anywhere else in the world that would be considered cruel and unusual.
My reading of the situation is that she suffered severe brain damage. It might be debatable if ‘she’ is even there any more for them to try and kill a third time.
Oh lord. So if she ends up with serious cognitive issues they might not be able to kill her.