Lawyer Asks Governor to Stop Execution
Christa Pike’s lawyer is asking Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to throw out her death sentence. He argues the failed execution attempt was punishment enough for the 1995 murder. Stephen Ferrell told CNN that Pike remains unconscious in a hospital after surviving two doses of pentobarbital. The lawyer says another attempt would not bring justice to the victim’s family. The botched event happened at Nashville’s Riverbend Maximum Security Institution last Wednesday.
Pike is the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in over 200 years, according to the New York Post. She was sentenced to death for the brutal killing of her classmate Colleen Slemmer. Slemmer was 19 when Pike and her boyfriend lured her to an isolated area near the university. The pair tortured Slemmer for nearly an hour before crushing her skull with a chunk of broken asphalt. Pike kept a fragment of the skull as a trophy and showed it to classmates.
Questions About Her Health and Competence
Doctors have not determined if Pike will ever wake up or regain her full health. Ferrell told CNN on Sunday that she is still on a ventilator and critically ill. He noted that the medical team does not know the long-term prognosis yet. Pike’s legal team claims the IV lines were not placed correctly, causing the drug to leak into her body tissue.
Court documents state that no one on the execution team realized the veins had blown. Pike reportedly felt a burning sensation after the second dose was given. Journalists who watched the event said she asked if the feeling was normal. The execution team failed to fix the problem before giving her the full dose. Snoring and unconscious yet still breathing on the gurney, she was left by this error.
Official Resignation and Calls for Review
Frank Strada, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, resigned from his post on Saturday. A full independent review of the incident was called for by Gov. Bill Lee, who also announced the resignation. Strada stated that serving as commissioner was a “great honor” for him. As the review moves forward, he added that stepping aside serves the best interest of Tennesseans. Lee has postponed the state’s only remaining execution for this year.
Fox News heard from Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith, who stated that Pike represents pure evil. Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote on social media that the botched process extends the pain for Slemmer’s family. The state must now decide if Pike can ever be executed again given her current condition.
