THE TRUTH ABOUT: 8 - The Untold Story

What Is Pentobarbital? The Veterinary Drug That Failed To Execute Christa Pike in Tennessee

Pentobarbital, a barbiturate used in animal euthanasia, is now Tennessee's sole execution drug. Here is why it failed to kill Christa Pike and what her lawyers allege.

International Business Times UK · Oct 2

Inside Tennessee’s first female execution in 200 years, and how it went wrong

A Tennessee execution failed after Christa Pike remained alive despite receiving two doses of pentobarbital, breathing and making sounds for more than an hour before being taken to hospital in critical condition. The botched execution prompted Governor Bill Lee to order a review and postpone another execution scheduled for later…

The Economic Times · Oct 2

Can Tennessee Execute Christa Pike Again? Landmark Legal Fight Looms After Failed Lethal Injection

Christa Pike outlived two doses of pentobarbital on 30 September, so learn how a 1947 electric chair ruling and a 2016 Ohio decision may decide if she faces a second attempt.

International Business Times UK · Oct 2

Christa Pike survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest person to endure a failed execution

Christa Pike survived an execution attempt in Tennessee on Sept. 30, 2026, after receiving two doses of pentobarbital, a lethal drug. Gov. Bill Lee has temporarily suspended executions in the state.

The Conversation · Oct 1

Christa Pike’s attorney says she is alive after botched execution turned her purple

IN FULL

The Independent UK · Oct 1

Christa Pike remains alive hours after Tennessee failed in executing her by lethal injection, her lawyers say

The 50-year-old death row inmate was still heard snoring over the chamber microphone more than an hour after executioners administered two separate doses of pentobarbital

The Independent UK · Oct 1

The Guardian view on the death penalty: Christa Pike’s execution was botched, but cruelty is inherent

Editorial: Three-quarters of nations have rightly abolished capital punishment in law or practice, but killing by the state has surged in the US

The Guardian - UK · Oct 1

Christa Pike's 1995 Murder Case: How and Why She Lured Victim Colleen Slemmer to Her Death

Christa Pike was convicted of murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1996. Her case has returned to attention following legal challenges surrounding her scheduled Tennessee execution.

International Business Times UK · Oct 1

Drug used in failed execution faced past scrutiny as experts warned of ‘significant uncertainty’

IN FULL

The Independent UK · Oct 1

'They Went to Try to Execute Her, and She Didn't Die': Colleen Slemmer's Mother Reacts After Christa Pike's Failed Execution

Christa Pike remained alive after two lethal injection doses in Tennessee, prompting further scrutiny of the 1995 Colleen Slemmer murder, clemency arguments and the state's next steps.

International Business Times UK · Oct 1