--- title: 'Christa Pike' description: 'BREAKING: On September 30, Tennessee botched the execution of Christa Pike, the state’s second failed execution in six months. She was transported to a…' canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tag/christa-pike' section: contentTags date: '2023-09-05T09:20:00-04:00' updated: '2026-10-10T13:16:12-04:00' source: 'Death Penalty Information Center' --- BREAKING: On September 30, Tennessee botched the execution of Christa Pike, the state's second failed execution in six months. She was transported to a hospital, and her current status is unknown. Gov. Bill Lee has paused executions for the rest of the year. Learn more below. [**Read DPI's statement on Tennessee's failed execution of Christa Pike**](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/pdf/DPI-Statement-on-Tennessees-Failed-Execution-of-Christa-Pike.pdf) - October 10, 2026 - October 7, 2026 - October 6, 2026 - October 3, 2026 - October 3, 2026 - 12pm CT, October 2, 2026 - 1pm CT, October 1, 2026 - 10:01am CT, October 1, 2026 After the Botched Execution October 10, 2026 Christa Pike Discharged from Hospital and Returned to Prison "Christa Pike was discharged from a local hospital and is now at Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center where she has been housed for more than 30 years," her attorneys said in a statement. "She is grateful to the first responders and her medical team for their care in these extraordinary circumstances. She is continuing to receive medical care at the prison, and we will continue to track her recovery." After the Botched Execution October 7, 2026 Court Orders the State Preserve Evidence, Attorneys Give Update on Ms. Pike's Condition A Tennessee judge ordered the state to preserve all evidence from the failed September 30 execution attempt of Christa Pike, as her attorneys reported that she has regained consciousness and is speaking, although limitedly. Davidson County Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea Myles granted a motion filed by Ms. Pike’s legal team, which sought to prevent the loss of records and physical evidence from the botched execution. Judge Myles issued her order after determining that her court had jurisdiction, requiring the state preserve drugs, syringes, IV lines and other medical equipment, along with photographs, video and audio recordings, witness accounts, emails, and documentation of any complications, delays or equipment problems. Judge Myles said that if any evidence has been erased, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) should try to recover it. Following the court hearing, Ms. Pike’s attorneys held a press conference, updating members of the media on her condition. Randy Spivey, an attorney for Ms. Pike, said that “Christa is a survivor...She deserves answers about what was done to her, and the people of Tennessee deserve those answers too.” Mr. Spivey explained that as of the evening of October 5 her team understood that she was braindead and the hospital staff had intended on taking her off life support the following day. “To the shock of everyone,” Ms. Pike woke up on the following day and began talking. Her legal team could not explain how she woke up but noted that she would have a “long road to recovery.” She is unable to move her arms or swallow, has pneumonia, and they “do not know what function, if any, she will regain.” Her attorneys reported her arms are burned and blistered and that she is handcuffed to her hospital bed. The long-term prognosis is unclear. After the Botched Execution October 6, 2026 Attorneys Report Christa Pike is "conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care" Around 5pm ET on October 6, Christa Pike's legal team issued the following statement: **Statement from Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason from the TN Office of the Post Conviction Defender, and Stephen Ferrell and Luke Ihnen from Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, attorneys for Christa Pike** NASHVILLE - Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care. Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery. We are incredibly grateful to the first responders and the medical team at the hospital who treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her. We also want to thank thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for Christa. Christa’s life has been extraordinarily difficult. She survived multiple childhood rapes, which political leaders in this state acknowledge leave lifelong scars. She survived nearly 30 years of solitary confinement and, more recently, escalating restrictive confinement leading up to her execution date. She survived two complete rounds of lethal injection per Tennessee’s protocol, despite her attorneys’ warning to the state of specific challenges with her veins. She is the only person known to have survived a complete execution attempt in the U.S. Christa is a survivor and will take recovery one day at a time. We continue to ask the Governor of Tennessee to commute Christa Pike’s sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. A press conference will be held with Christa Pike’s attorneys on Wednesday, October 7 following the hearing in Davidson County Chancery Court that begins at 11:00 a.m. CT. After the Botched Execution October 3, 2026 Gov. Bill Lee Appoints former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton to Oversee Independent Protocol Review Reporting from [*The Tennessean*](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2026/09/30/christa-pike-death-penalty-execution-live-updates--live/91994490007/) states Governor Bill Lee announced that former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton has been appointed to oversee the independent review of the state's failed attempt to execute Christa Pike. Gov. Lee had appointed Mr. Stanton after his previous [pause on executions in 2022](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessee-governor-halts-executions-scheduled-for-2022-to-conduct-review-of-execution-protocol-oversight) after he had called off the execution of Oscar Smith. The former U.S. attorney authored an [independent report](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/report-tennessee-repeatedly-violated-execution-protocol-since-2018) that found the state repeatedly failed to follow its own protocols in performing seven executions and preparing for an eighth between 2018 and 2022. During that time, two people were executed by lethal injection; five were executed by electrocution, but the state prepared lethal injection drugs in case they changed their choice in execution method; and one execution was called off after preparations had already begun. The report found that between 2018 and 2022, the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) at one point "considered the possibility of obtaining \[execution drugs\] from a veterinarian" and never provided a copy of its execution protocol to the compounding pharmacy that ultimately provided the drugs. The execution protocol required that the drugs be tested for potency, sterility, and endotoxin contamination but, the report said, TDOC repeatedly violated that requirement from 2018 onward, conducting endotoxin testing in only one of the eight pending lethal-injection executions. In one case, TDOC also failed to conduct potency testing, and in another case, one drug failed potency testing. > “The fact of the matter is not one TDOC employee made it their duty to understand the current Protocol’s testing requirements and ensure compliance,” the report said. TDOC leadership, the report concluded, “viewed the lethal injection process through a tunnel-vision, result-oriented lens rather than provide the necessary guidance and counsel to ensure that Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol was thorough, consistent, and followed.” ! After the Botched Execution October 3, 2026 Commissioner Frank Strada, who oversaw the botched execution of Christa Pike, resigns. According to *The Tennessean*, Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) Commissioner Frank Strada, who oversaw the botched execution of Christa Pike—and 3 botched executions in Arizona—has resigned and will step down later this October. Frank Strada has served as commissioner since 2023. His resignation comes as a third-party investigation into the execution is underway, according to a news release from Gov. Bill Lee issued the morning of Oct. 3. > "...stepping aside is in the best interest of Tennesseans as the independent review moves forward...I believe this review is entirely appropriate and necessary, and I look forward to doing everything I can to help determine exactly what occurred.” > > -Frank Strada, comment on his resignation from the TDOC ! After the Botched Execution 12pm CT, October 2, 2026 Attorneys File Emergency Motion to Preserve Relevant Evidence Christa Pike's attorneys filed an [Emergency Motion to Preserve Relevant Evidence](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/pdf/25.-2026.10.01-EMERGENCY-MOTION-TO-PRESERVE-RELEVANT-EVIDENCE-FINAL.pdf), stating, "In light of the manifest violation of Ms. Pike’s constitutional rights, the actionable nature of that violation, and the reasonable foreseeability of litigation, the Defendants have an affirmative duty to preserve all relevant physical, written, and electronic evidence." In the filing, Ms. Pike's attorneys provided some details about her condition. "She is intubated, on a ventilator, and remains unconscious. Upon arrival, both of her arms were swollen, burned, and blistered," the filing states. Her attorneys provided the court with an extensive [list of evidence to preserve](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/pdf/25.3-2026.10.02-Exhibit-3.pdf), including all medical materials used in the execution and their packaging; any photos, videos, or audio recordings of the execution or preparations; and documentation, communications, written and electronic records related to the process. The filing also reiterates the claims filed ahead of the execution, warning the state of potential problems that could occur. Many of those exact problems did, in fact, occur. "Her concerns were called 'speculation'; they were laughed off, scoffed at, and dismissed. In the words of one media witness: we have a lot of questions and the Department of Correction has a lot of answers that it needs to provide to the public about what happened here. We agree," her attorneys wrote. A status conference on the motion was set for October 7 at 11 am CT. After the Botched Execution 1pm CT, October 1, 2026 Attorneys Speak on Christa Pike's Critical Condition, Call for Clemency > “Last night was not just inefficient, it was cruel, and it was torturous. It was also predictable,” attorney Randy Spivey said. “Christa’s legal team told the state of Tennessee and the courts that her medical conditions would cause her to suffer an agonizing death.” In a [press conference](https://davisvanguard.org/2026/10/tennessee-failed-execution-christa-pike/), two of Christa Pike's attorneys provided updates on the botched execution of Christa Pike, highlighting aspects of secrecy and delays in contacting state officials. **"She is in critical condition receiving life-saving care,"** said Randy Spivey with the Tennessee Office of the Post Conviction Defender. Mr. Spivey, who witnessed the execution, recounts "at least 7 needles used in her left arm alone," including one "which appeared to be bent when it was pulled from her arm after an unsuccessful attempt." He also emphasized the lack of phone access--a known concern-- requiring him to leave his client in the midst of the execution and go through six locked doors before reaching a phone. When he did, the number provided to him by the Tennessee Supreme Court went to voicemail--no response from the state was provided until a motion was electronically filed, at which time an email response was provided. **Ms. Pike's attorneys have called on Gov. Lee to grant clemency.** ! Christa Pike After the Botched Execution 10:01am CT, October 1, 2026 Gov. Lee Calls Botched Execution a "Tragedy" and "Deeply Disturbing" Governor Bill Lee told the [media](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2026/09/30/christa-pike-death-penalty-execution-live-updates--live/91994490007/): > “There is no one that wanted what happened last night to happen. It shouldn't have happened. It's the most difficult of circumstances as it relates to the sentence that should have been carried out by the states. It’s a tragedy, and it's deeply disturbing that that has happened in this state. The people deserve better than that." Gov. Lee, whose term ends in January 2027, said that an investigator had not yet been chosen to review what had happened nor is it clear how long the review will take. ! - 11:27pm CT, September 30, 2026 - 11:15pm CT, September 30, 2026 - ~6:41-8:53pm CT, September 30, 2026 The Botched Execution of Christa Pike 11:27pm CT, September 30, 2026 Gov. Lee Calls For "Comprehensive, Third-Party Review," Halts Remaining 2026 Execution > “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,” said Governor Bill Lee. Gov. Lee [announced](https://apnews.com/article/christa-pike-execution-tennessee-f826a60582083b90ac7695ecb16afbdf) a “a comprehensive, third-party review" of Ms. Pike's execution and paused the remaining execution of the year shortly after the botched execution of Christa Pike--the second botched execution by the state in five months. This is the second time Gov. Lee has issued a pause on executions during his nearly eight year tenure, which is coming to an end January 2027. On [May 2, 2022](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessee-governor-halts-executions-scheduled-for-2022-to-conduct-review-of-execution-protocol-oversight), Gov. Lee paused all executions for the year and called for an ​“independent review” of the state’s execution protocol after halting Oscar Franklin Smith​’s execution less than a half-hour before it was scheduled to be carried out on April 21, 2022. On [December 27, 2024](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessee-to-resume-executions-with-single-drug-lethal-injection-protocol), the Tennessee Department of Correction completed the review and announced a change from that a three-drug execution protocol to a single-drug barbituate, pentobarbital. Since the resumption of executions, there have been four prisoners killed and two failed attempts (Tony Carruthers and Christa Pike). ! The Botched Execution of Christa Pike 11:15pm CT, September 30, 2026 Tennessee Department of Correction's Statement on the Execution Attempt The Tennessee Department of Correction released a [media advisory](https://www.tn.gov/correction/news/2026/9/30/media-advisory--christa-pike--261368.html) stating: > "The Tennessee Department of Correction followed every step of the State’s lawful, established execution protocol approved by the Attorney General’s Office. The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening. Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility." The Botched Execution of Christa Pike ~6:41-8:53pm CT, September 30, 2026 The Botched Execution Media witnesses to Ms. Pike’s attempted execution [said](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/tennessee-botches-another-execution-despite-earlier-warnings-from-attorneys-christa-pike-was-alive-hours-after-attempt-began) they were in the witness chamber for about 45 minutes before curtains were lifted at 7:26 pm to reveal Ms. Pike strapped to the gurney. She gave her final statement, and the execution team began injecting the drugs. According to Tori Gessner of WKRN, Ms. Pike said, ​“My arm feels like it’s about to bust. One spot is really throbbing.” The curtains were closed at 7:46 pm but reopened three minutes later. At 8:05 pm, the curtains were closed again and remained closed until witnesses were told to leave at 8:53 pm. Throughout the process, witnesses could hear Ms. Pike breathing and snoring. **No other prisoner in the modern era of the death penalty has survived the administration of lethal injection drugs.** Seven people prior to Ms. Pike had survived failed execution attempts, but in all of those, the execution was called off due to difficulties setting an IV line, and no drugs were ever administered. ! - ~6pm CT, September 30, 2026 - ~8:30 CT, September 30, 2026 - September 28, 2026 - August 20, 2026 - August 11-13, 2026 - July 24, 2026 - June 25, 2026 - June 12, 2026 - May 21, 2026 - January 8, 2026 - September 2025 State and Judicial Proceedings ~6pm CT, September 30, 2026 U.S. Supreme Court Lifts Temporary Stay, Allows Execution to Proceed The U.S. Supreme Court, with three liberal justices dissenting, vacated a temporary stay of execution issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The Court granted the stay "solely to allow the State to execute Pike before litigation over her conviction has properly run its course in the lower courts," [wrote](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a428_4f15.pdf) Justice Sotomayor in her dissent. "I see no reason to short-circuit the ordinary process of appellate review, particularly in light of the grave consequences of an erroneous decision." ! State and Judicial Proceedings ~8:30 CT, September 30, 2026 Temporary Stay Issued by U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit voted 2-1 to grant her a stay in order to consider her motion to reopen her federal appeals. Ms. Pike had argued on appeal that her trial attorney failed to investigate or present evidence of severe childhood sexual abuse beginning at age 2, which could have convinced the jury to vote for a life sentence. The state contested that evidence and her appeals were denied. Yet in the August 13 hearing, an attorney for the state conceded her past trauma and said: "I think we all wish that ... she was not on death row." Accordingly, as the Sixth Circuit summarized, Ms. Pike’s attorneys argued that “the State recently reversed its litigation position that she is a liar who fabricated sexual abuse,” which “erodes the foundation” of her state and federal appeals. Judge Jane Stranch, who wrote the opinion granting the stay, also wrote a concurrence in Ms. Pike’s case in 2019 concluding that executing 18-year-old offenders was likely unconstitutional. "\[I\]n sentencing Pike to death, we rule out the possibility that her crime was a product of the immature mind of youth rather than fixed depravity.” ! State and Judicial Proceedings September 28, 2026 Gov. Bill Lee Denies Clemency for Christa Pike On September 28, 2026, Governor Bill Lee [denied](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/governor-bill-lee-denies-clemency-for-christa-pike-refusing-to-stop-tennessees-first-execution-of-a-woman-in-more-than-200-years) a clemency request to commute Christa Pike's death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Following Gov. Lee’s announcement, Ms. Pike’s attorneys said that Tennessee will now be ​“on singular footing: Christa will be the first person Tennessee executes in modern death penalty era who was a teenager at the time of the offense and the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years.” Counsel for Ms. Pike had filed a [lengthy clemency petition](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28595531-christa-pike-clemency-petition/) outlining the case her team built over decades of appeals: how Ms. Pike’s actions cannot be separated from a childhood marked by repeated rape, sexual abuse, and neglect that went unaddressed by the adults and the state systems meant to protect her. Tennessee did not dispute the core factual claims underlying Ms. Pike’s petition, and during an August 13 hearing on her challenges to the state’s lethal injection protocol, the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office told the courts that the state does not contest the abuse Ms. Pike suffered, adding that everyone in the courtroom wished ​“that she was not on death row.” [More than 100 organizations](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/ETW-9.10.26-Christa-Pike-Anti-Violence-Advocates-Letter-Final.pdf) and experts dedicated to ending violence against women had called on Gov. Lee to commute Ms. Pike’s sentence to life in prison without parole. ! State and Judicial Proceedings August 20, 2026 Special Master Denies Alternate Execution Method, Finds Protocol Constitutional Special Master W. Mark Ward published his [findings](https://wpln.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/08/Special-Master-Report-Christa-Pike-082126.pdf) after a multi-day evidentiary hearing from August 11-13. He concluded that Christa Pike failed to support the following four claims: **1)** Her diagnosis of thrombocytosis would likely mean that gaining peripheral IV access under the current protocol would "'cause serious illness and needless suffering.'" **2)** Given her history of sexual assault and PTSD diagnosis, transfer to Riverbend Maximum Security Prison before the execution, "where she would be observed by male prison officials," would cause "'serious illness and needless suffering.'" The Special Master notes that the Tennessee Department of Corrections agreed to accommodations related to this concern, such as transfer and observation by female correctional staff. **3)** Her "small and compromised veins" would mean achieving peripheral IV access would be likely to cause "'serious illness and needless suffering.'" **4)** An alternative method of execution would "'significantly reduce a substantial risk of severe pain.'" The Special Master notes that the 23-gauge needle alternative proposed by Ms. Pike was withdrawn, with the two remaining requests for alternatives being hanging or the placement of a central line. The Court notes that a central line placement is associated with its own complications. The Court concluded there was "no credible proof presented" that hanging would "'significantly reduce a substantial risk of severe pain,'" however, even if there was, it is not able to be implemented as TDOC staff is inexperienced in judicial hangings. Parties filed a Stipulation of Dismissal of Issue #5 on August 7, 2026, allowing a clergy member or spiritual advisor to be present in the execution chamber. ! State and Judicial Proceedings August 11-13, 2026 Can Tennessee's Execution Protocol Be Constitutionally Applied to Christa Pike's Case? A Knox County court held a multi-day evidentiary [hearing](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessee-court-holds-multi-day-hearing-on-christa-pikes-lethal-injection-challenge) to determine whether Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol can be constitutionally used to execute Christa Pike. The hearing was overseen by Senior Judge W. Mark Ward, who was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve as special master in the case. > *“As we all saw with Tony Carruthers, the State does not have the qualified, trained personnel in place to carry out Christa’s execution in a way that will not lead to a gruesome spectacle." -Luke Ihnen, counsel for Christa Pike* Testimony [centered](https://www.wvlt.tv/2026/08/10/hearing-review-planned-execution-christa-pike-only-woman-death-row-tennessee-set-tuesday/) on three contested issues: 1) whether Ms. Pike’s thrombocytosis creates an unconstitutional risk of IV complications and pulmonary edema during lethal injection; 2) whether transferring her to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and placing her under close observation before execution would retraumatize her given her documented history of childhood sexual abuse and PTSD; and 3) whether her proposed alternative execution methods — a different lethal injection process, or hanging — would meaningfully reduce her risk of experiencing severe pain. The state argued that Ms. Pike’s veins are reliably accessible (citing successful blood draws), that her platelet levels present minimal clotting risk, that pentobarbital induces unconsciousness before serious pain can be registered, and that Tennessee is neither equipped nor legally authorized to carry out a hanging. During this hearing, parties agreed to certain accommodations for Ms. Pike, addressing the second aforementioned issue. State and Judicial Proceedings July 24, 2026 Tennessee Supreme Court Appoints Special Master, Grants Evidentiary Hearing > “We are pleased that the Tennessee Supreme Court recognizes and is taking seriously the problems we have identified with Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol as it applies to Christa’s specific mental and medical needs,” [said](https://dpw.lawschool.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Press-Release-July-24-2026.pdf) Luke Ihnen, attorney for Ms. Pike. “Christa suffered unimaginable sexual violence and abuse by adult male authority figures throughout her childhood. Housing her, even temporarily, in an all-male facility under 24-hour surveillance by male officers, and assigning all-male teams to extract her from her cell and strap her to the execution table, is inherently cruel and torturous given her history.” The Tennessee Supreme Court appointed Senior Judge Mark Ward as Special Master to conduct a thorough review of Christa Pike's scheduled execution. This is a rare decision, under its recently amended Rule 12(4)(E), which allows for the appointment of a special master to take testimony and review evidence of cases that would impact timing or method of an execution. Ms. Pike is the first prisoner to be approved for review under this new process. ! State and Judicial Proceedings June 25, 2026 Republican State Senators Call For Independent Review & Increased Transparency of Executions > "Repeated failures of this kind do not advance justice; they obstruct it, prolong the suffering of victims’ families, and hand the opponents of capital punishment their most effective argument against a penalty Tennesseans have chosen to keep.” -[letter](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/GOP-Senators-letter-to-Gov.-Bill-Lee-re-Carruthers-execution-062926.pdf) addressed to Gov. Lee A group of nine Tennessee Republican senators [called](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessee-republican-state-senators-call-on-governor-lee-to-review-the-incompetent-administration-leading-to-the-botched-execution-of-tony-carruthers) on Governor Bill Lee to commission an independent review of the failed execution of Tony Carruthers, to order the correction of ​“every deficiency” found in this review, and to make information about the execution team publicly available ​“so that the Department \[of Corrections’\] readiness can be independently verified.” While the senators maintain their support for the administration of the death penalty, they note they ​“cannot accept its incompetent administration” and that the failed execution of Mr. Carruthers ​“was a failure of the State of Tennessee to carry out a lawful sentence of its own courts.” ! Tennessee Statehouse State and Judicial Proceedings June 12, 2026 Lawsuit in State Court Raises Constitutional Concerns On June 12, following Mr. Carruthers’ failed execution, Ms. Pike’s attorneys again filed a lawsuit in state court with many of the same claims as the January filing, arguing that the constitutional risks were ever more urgent: > "Tony Carruthers’ botched execution shed light on what was already known to counsel for the death-sentenced prisoners in Tennessee: despite their protestations and bald assertions, the Respondents do not know how to carry out an execution that comports with either the United States Constitution or the Tennessee Constitution; they do not have the qualified and trained medical personnel to ensure that prisoners do not experience superadded pain, terror, disgrace, or lingering death; and they refuse to admit it. The Respondents must be made to answer to the members of this Court, and to the citizens of Tennessee from whom they derive their authority. And they must be able to credibly say it will not happen again. They cannot do so." They asked the court to appoint a special master to review these claims in a hearing, which was granted. They also added a few new requests, including asking the court to “declare that counsel for Pike be able to gain immediate access to a phone and all telephone numbers in the execution chamber or media room before, during, and after Pike’s execution or, in the alternative, be able to bring a cellphone into the prison,” as Mr. Carruthers' execution demonstrated this access problem. State and Judicial Proceedings May 21, 2026 Botched Execution of Tony Carruthers On May 21, 2026, the state called off the execution of [Tony Carruthers](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tennessees-botched-execution-of-tony-carruthers-raises-questions-about-medical-qualifications-among-concerns-with-innocence-and-due-process) after more than an hour of attempting to set an IV line, prompting Governor Bill Lee to grant a one-year reprieve. In a written statement, the Tennessee Department of Corrections said medical personnel had quickly established a primary IV line but were unable to establish a backup line as required by the state’s execution protocol. Efforts to insert a central line also failed, and officials called off the execution. According to counsel for Mr. Carruthers, execution team members punctured him more than a dozen times while repeatedly attempting to establish an IV line before the execution was stopped. > Maria DeLiberato, one of Mr. Carruthers’ attorneys who was in the execution chamber, said she saw Mr. Carruthers ​“wincing and groaning” while officials attempted to find a vein, calling it ​“horrible” to watch, and telling the media they ​“should have been in that room with” her to witness it. In a filing after Mr. Carruthers' failed execution, his legal team challenged the qualifications of Dr. Mark Walton Fowler, the physician tasked with establishing IV access. In a deposition, Dr. Fowler stated he last placed a central line around 2013, when he worked in an emergency room, and that he had placed a dozen or more central lines during his career — one that ended with a guide wire in the patient’s carotid vein. Dr. Fowler confirmed in a deposition that he has no current hospital privileges, meaning no hospital has authorized him to practice or perform procedures at its facility. Dr. Fowler was also confirmed to be overseeing Ms. Pike’s execution. An August 23, 2026 emergency motion to review Dr. Fowler's qualifications and potential involvement in Ms. Pike's execution was [denied](https://www.wsmv.com/2026/08/21/emergency-motion-challenging-execution-christa-gail-pike-only-woman-tennessees-death-row-denied/) by Special Master W. Mark Ward. ! Tony Carruthers State and Judicial Proceedings January 8, 2026 Lawsuit Asserts New Execution Protocol is Unconstitutional On January 8, 2026, Christa Pike’s attorneys filed a lawsuit in state court asserting that Tennessee’s new execution protocol violated the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions. They argued that the protocol created an intolerable risk of cruel and unusual punishment "because it fails to provide a contingency plan with emergency medical services on-site in the event of a botch,” and asked the court to “\[d\]eclare that Tennessee must implement a contingency plan…and that life-saving medical procedures be administered if death does not result within five minutes of the beginning of the execution." They cited medical conditions that increased Ms. Pike’s risk of a botched execution, including the blood-clotting disorder thrombocytosis and "small veins that make insertion of a needle difficult.” The lawsuit also argued that the protocol infringed Ms. Pike’s religious freedoms as a practicing Buddhist by denying her access to her spiritual advisor for 12 hours before the execution, among other points. However, the lawsuit was dismissed without Tennessee making any changes to its protocol. State and Judicial Proceedings September 2025 Christa Pike's Execution is Scheduled The Tennessee Supreme Court scheduled Christa Pike's execution for September 30, 2026. !