Tennessee orders review after Christa Pike survives lethal injection

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee ordered an independent review of the state’s lethal injection process after Christa Pike survived an execution attempt involving two doses of pentobarbital. Lee also suspended executions in Tennessee through the end of the year. Pike, 50, was taken to a hospital. Her attorneys said she was receiving lifesaving care, while MedPage Today reported she was unconscious and on a ventilator.

The cause of the failed execution has not been confirmed. Pike’s attorneys suggested the drug may have entered tissue rather than her bloodstream. Experts cited by The New York Times said the catheter may not have delivered the doses into her bloodstream or the drug may have been degraded. The Tennessee Department of Correction said officials followed the state’s established protocol, and Fox News reported that officials said the drug supply was verified.