Christa Pike, who survived an execution attempt, released from hospital

Christa Pike, sentenced to death in Tennessee and who survived a lethal injection execution attempt, has been released from the hospital and transferred to a rehabilitation center. Her attorneys stated she is grateful to the medical team and continues to receive treatment. The incident led to the resignation of the state's prison director and a moratorium on executions until the end of 2026.

Christa Pike, sentenced to death in Tennessee for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, survived a lethal injection execution attempt on September 30, 2026. After receiving two doses of pentobarbital, she continued to breathe and speak. The procedure was halted, and she was rushed to the hospital unconscious and on a ventilator, with swelling, burns, and blisters on her arms. Yesterday (Saturday, October 10), she was released from the hospital and transferred to the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she has been for over 30 decades. Her attorneys stated she is grateful to the emergency responders and medical team. Following the failure, the state's prison director, Frank Strada, resigned, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ordered a freeze on all executions until the end of 2026 and an external review of the procedure. Pike is the first woman scheduled to be executed in Tennessee in over 200 years, and the first known person to survive lethal doses of a lethal injection.