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Detail emerges about doctor involved in Christa Pike's botched execution - she survived two lethal injections
A shocking detail has been revealed about the doctor who oversaw the failed execution of Christa Pike, despite two lethal injections.
Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital during the attempted execution on Wednesday, with her lawyers later claiming that she remained conscious and continued to have a heartbeat, before she was rushed to hospital.
An emergency motion filed by her legal team also said that Pike was audibly snoring during the procedure.
“Tonight the State of Tennessee once again failed to carry out a lawful execution,” her attorneys said.
“We take no pleasure in being right, but the concerns raised by Ms. Pike proved to be true: difficult vein access, blown veins, degraded pentobarbital, no emergency medical care available when things inevitably go wrong, all under a protocol that remains veiled in secrecy.”
Her lawyers said that, as of 10:40PM Central Time, they had still not been informed about Pike's medical condition.
Chilling detail emerges about doctor after failed execution
Following the failed execution, one particularly chilling detail has now emerged that could attract further scrutiny.
Dr Mark Fowler, the physician involved in Pike's execution, also oversaw the state's failed attempt to execute Tony Carruthers back in May, with that consequently called off.
In that instance, the execution was abandoned as Dr. Fowler was unable to establish IV access so that the lethal drugs could be administered.
Tennessee's execution procedures have faced scrutiny previously, with Gov. Bill Lee having paused executions following concerns over the state's lethal injection process, despite the state successfully executing Anthony Darrell Hines in August.
However, Pike's case had already raised questions about whether medical complications could interfere with the procedure, with her lawyers arguing that a vein condition could make it particularly difficult for officials to establish suitable IV access for the lethal drugs.
Pike's execution was thrown into further uncertainty on Wednesday when the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay less than an hour before she was due to be put to death at 10AM.
While the decision temporarily halted the procedure while the court considered arguments surrounding her case, the state subsequently appealed to the US Supreme Court, who ultimately gave permission to proceed.
The attempted execution subsequently went ahead, but ended in an unprecedented failure after Pike survived two lethal injections, before being sent to hospital.
Pike's brutal murder of Slemmer
Pike was convicted in 1996 over the killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, in what became known as the “Jobs Corps Murder” because both Pike and Slemmer were members of the Jobs Corps programme when Slemmer was killed in 1995.
Prosecutors and testimony presented during the case alleged that Pike had conspired with two other teenagers, Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson, to kill Slemmer following a dispute involving their relationships.
Investigators discovered that a pentacle had been carved into Slemmer's chest, while evidence presented during the case indicated that a piece of the victim's skull had also been removed.
Pike was consequently sentenced to death, while Shipp, who wasn’t legally considered an adult when carrying out the murder, received a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
Pike's lawyers have previously argued that her age, mental health and history of alleged abuse should have been given greater consideration.
Now, following the failed execution, there has so far been no definitive announcement about what Tennessee officials intend to do next with Pike's death sentence, with Tennessee Governor Lee putting it on hold while an investigation into the failed execution is carried out.