Witnesses describe Christa Pike ‘snoring’ and ‘looking around’ during botched execution attempt

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - Christa Pike remains alive after officials attempted to execute her by lethal injection, with witnesses describing “haunting” moments during the failed attempt.

The state tried to execute her by lethal injection on Wednesday, but neither the initial nor backup dose of pentobarbital killed her.

“Christa is alive right now. We don’t have a sense of her prognosis or much update on her health at the moment,” Spivey said during a news conference.

Witnesses say she was snoring when the execution chamber’s microphone was cut off more than an hour into the attempt.

Attorneys say at least seven needles were used in her left arm alone. They described her physical reactions, including ragged breathing, looking around and complaining of a burning sensation.

The failed execution amounted to “torture,” her lawyers said, and they called for her death sentence to be commuted.

“I’m haunted by last night,” he said. “What I saw last night is not something that should ever, ever happen again.”

Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for killing Colleen Slemmer in 1995.

Slemmer was 19 years old when she was killed after being lured to an isolated area on the University of Tennessee agricultural campus. Both Slemmer and Pike were enrolled in Job Corps at the time.

Pike and two co-defendants, Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson, were convicted in 1996. Testimony showed the trio tortured Slemmer, carved a pentagram into her chest and Pike kept a piece of Slemmer’s skull as a souvenir.

Pike is currently receiving “life-saving medical care.”