Christa Pike remained alive after Tennessee officials administered two doses of the lethal-injection drug pentobarbital during an attempted execution on September 30, 2026. The 50-year-old death row inmate was taken from the prison to an off-site medical facility, but her current medical condition has not been publicly disclosed.
Witnesses reported hearing her snoring and making other sounds during the execution , according to reports .
Pike’s attorneys, meanwhile, said she remained alive after both doses were administered. Her lawyers subsequently sought emergency court intervention and said she was taken for medical treatment. In May, officials stopped the execution of death row inmate Tony Carruthers after they were unable to establish an IV to administer the lethal-injection drugs , according to AP.
The US Supreme Court later cleared the way for Tennessee to proceed. The incident is the second failed Tennessee execution attempt this year.
Pike’s execution was delayed earlier Wednesday after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked it while considering legal claims raised by her attorneys.
