- Death row inmate Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death for a murder she committed at age 18, survived two lethal injections in a failed execution attempt in Tennessee on Wednesday night.
- Before being administered the drugs that were supposed to kill her, Pike said, “I’m going to leave this world the way I spent most of my life and that is in love.”
- Officials raised curtains to the execution chamber at 7:27 p.m. and began the injection as Pike remained awake, and at one point she raised her head and asked prison officials if her arm was supposed to feel that way. It was not clear what she was referencing.
- A second dose of pentobarbital had been administered by 8:26 p.m. but Pike could be heard snoring until the microphone was cut off at 8:53 p.m. Execution witness Tori Gessner, a reporter and anchor at WKRN , said at a news conference: “Nothing about today was normal, typical, at all.”
- She said that at 7:34 p.m., Pike was heard saying, “My arm feels like it’s about to burst open.” Pike then talked about a spot on her arm and asked, “Does this happen like that?” Gessner said.
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