U.S. appeals court halts Tennessee execution of Christa Pike
A U.S. appeals court has halted the execution of Christa Pike following reports of potential 'unnecessary agony' during the procedure. Legal teams are arguing that the state's failure to provide medical care during the botched attempt violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
Why it matters
The case raises significant legal and ethical questions regarding the administration of the death penalty and the standards of medical care for death row inmates.
Pike, 50, had been scheduled for execution after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned an appeals court ruling that stopped the lethal injection just an hour before it was to start.
Officials appeared to give Pike two doses of pentobarbital.
At 7:46 p.m. prison officials closed the curtain to the media room. They raised the curtain three minutes later. Pike could be heard loudly snoring, and the curtain was closed again at 8:06 pm.
Pike continued to be heard snoring behind the closed curtain until the microphone was cut off at about 8:53 p.m. At that time there was an announcement to escort media witnesses out of the area.
Also covering this story
10 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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As Tennessee execution nears, Christa Pike case highlights the few women on death row - WESH
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