Christa Pike: Tennessee Governor Halts Executions After Botched Attempt

Christa Pike Tenn. Governor Halts Executions After Botched Attempt 'We Need a Third Party Review' Published October 1, 2026 5:14 AM PDT Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has halted the remaining execution this year ... after an attempt to put Christa Pike to death was botched. In the wake of the failed execution attempts ... Lee said that he ordered "a comprehensive, third-party review" to determine what went wrong ... according to AP News. He added in his statement ... "Carrying out a lawfully imposed sentence is among the state’s most serious responsibilities, and the people of Tennessee expect it to be done in a manner that is not only legal and constitutional, but is effective." We reported earlier ... Pike was left snoring loudly after the 2 failed injections. Witnesses said that she had "not lost consciousness" and her heart was still beating ... before an ambulance transported her from the prison. Her current status is unknown. After a federal appeals court issued a stay of her execution ... the Supreme Court lifted that stay, allowing the sentence to go forward. Pike had been convicted of the 1995 slaying of Colleen Slemmer, 19, when Pike was 18 years old. Related articles Bill Lee Christa Pike Colleen Slemmer Death Penalty Crime Legal News Murder