17 claims involving the death penalty we've investigated

On Sept. 30, 2026, Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital, which her lawyers claimed was the result of improperly placed IV lines. Two days later, Pike remained unconscious and in critical condition. The botched execution recentered the national debate over the ethics of the death penalty. Public favor has evolved in recent decades: Support for capital punishment dipped in the 1960s and a 1972 Supreme Court decision led to its suspension for several years. After it was reinstated, support for the death penalty grew into the 1990s, with approximately 80% of Americans supporting its use for convicted murderers in 1994. Since then, its popularity has waved; a 2025 Gallup poll indicated only 52% of Americans were in favor. Snopes ahs covered claims related to the death penalty since 2003, including some cases from outside the U.S. Below are 17 of our investigations over the years: Sources Chandler, Kim, and Jamie Stengle. 'Christa Pike on a Ventilator and Unconscious after Failed Tennessee Execution, Attorneys Say'. The Associated Press, 2 Oct. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-failed-execution-ventilator-christa-pike-88d13440e0c16863f9a0b640c94eb4f2.'History of the Death Penalty'. Death Penalty Information Center, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/resources/high-school/about-the-death-penalty/history-of-the-death-penalty. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.Inc, Gallup. 'Death Penalty'. Gallup.Com, 24 Oct. 2006, https://news.gallup.com/poll/1606/Death-Penalty.aspx.Mueller, Benjamin, and Shaila Dewan . 'How Did Christa Pike Survive Two Lethal Injections of Pentobarbital?' The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/science/pike-execution-pentobarbital.html. By Taija PerryCook Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman. Article Tags