In a grisly turn of events, former death‑row inmate Christa Pike’s execution at Riverbend Prison in Tennessee went wrong. The botched attempt left Pike in critical condition after two injections of the drug pentobarbital failed to kill her.
Newly released emergency‑call recordings show that minutes were lost as first responders, Tennessee prison officials, and the execution team scrambled to verify the emergency request made from Pike’s execution chamber. The confusion sparked doubt about whether the call was legitimate, leading to significant delays in medical assistance.
Christa Pike was sentenced to death in 1995 after killing Colleen Slemmer with her then‑boyfriend. The failed execution on 30 September forced her to be transported to a hospital where she is currently in a critical state.
The BBC has published these calls as part of its investigation, which also includes an interview with BBC correspondent Mayeni Jones who explains the confusion and its implications for death‑penalty protocols.
