Tennessee Execution Attempt Stalled Over Suspected IV Failure

WHO:

CNN - Christa Pike, 50, survived Tennessee’s attempted execution; she was sentenced to death for the 1995 stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer.

CNN - Pike’s attorney, Randy Spivey, described the IV attempts in a court document.

The Guardian - Randy Spivey witnessed the execution attempt in the death chamber and supplied a minute-by-minute account in a declaration.

The Guardian - Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called off executions in the state pending a review.

The Guardian - Attorney Kit Thomas represented death-row plaintiffs challenging Tennessee’s lethal-injection protocol.

The Guardian - The execution team also attempted to execute death-row prisoner Tony Carruthers, who survived after staff failed to find a vein.

WHAT:

CNN - Staff struggled to establish working IV lines in both of Pike’s arms, using about 10 needles and trying several sites. They had difficulty pushing saline through the final line.

The Guardian - The team searched for a vein for nearly an hour, from 6:35 p.m. to 7:24 p.m. Team member two first raised concern that Pike’s vein might be “blowing” at 6:53 p.m.

The Guardian - At 6:57 p.m., team members said they “can’t tell” whether they had found a vein. A needle was later removed from Pike’s left arm because it appeared “severely bent.”

The Guardian - At 7:34 p.m., Pike said, “I feel like my arm is about to bust. It burns.”

CNN - Pike received two doses of pentobarbital but survived; the execution attempt was halted.

The Guardian - Pike made snoring and choking sounds during the attempt. She was hospitalized, spent 10 days there, and was returned to prison in Nashville. She later regained the ability to talk and walk; her long-term prognosis remained unknown.

WHERE:

CNN - Pike was taken to a hospital after the execution attempt.

The Guardian - The attempt took place in Tennessee’s death chamber; Pike was returned to prison in Nashville.

WHEN:

CNN - The attempted execution took place on September 30.

The Guardian - Tennessee attempted to execute Carruthers on May 21; he survived after staff failed to find a vein in more than 30 minutes.

WHY:

CNN - Tennessee protocol calls for a second pentobarbital dose if the first does not cause death but does not specify what to do if a person survives the second dose.

The Guardian - Lawyers for Carruthers and other prisoners argued that failures to establish IV lines create a risk of extreme pain and unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment.

HOW:

The Guardian - Spivey’s account said a team member replaced a 20-gauge needle, saying it was “not long enough,” and the team repeatedly inspected and poked insertion sites.

CNN - Pike was placed on a ventilator for several days; at one point, her attorneys did not expect her to survive.

The Guardian - The Guardian reported that a burst vein could divert pentobarbital into arm tissue rather than the bloodstream; Pike’s lawyer’s account records the team’s concerns about a vein possibly “blowing.”

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 23:11 UTC)

Christa Pike survived Tennessee’s attempted execution after staff struggled for nearly an hour to establish an IV line. Her attorney, Randy Spivey, witnessed the attempt and described repeated needle insertions in both arms, with about 10 needles used. Staff questioned whether they had found a vein, and one needle was removed because it appeared severely bent. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital, but the attempt was halted after she said her arm felt as if it would burst and was burning. She made snoring and choking sounds, was placed on a ventilator and hospitalized for 10 days, then returned to prison in Nashville. Her long-term prognosis is unknown. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has called off executions pending a review. Lawyers challenging the state’s lethal-injection protocol say failed IV lines risk extreme pain and unconstitutional punishment.