Execution attempt fails

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived execution attempt after two lethal injections failed, her lawyer says.

“Ms Pike has lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat and is audibly snoring.”

Medical emergency underway

Her legal team filed an emergency motion to halt the execution as it was happening, saying she was being provided life-saving measures in hospital.

Pike's crime history

Pike was 18 when she and her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp beat, tortured and killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.

Execution protocol details

Tennessee's execution protocol calls for a secondary set of pentobarbital-filled syringes in case the person does not die after the first set.

State review ordered

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ordered a comprehensive third-party review to determine exactly what occurred after the failed execution.

Legal team's statement

Pike's legal team stated the state failed to carry out a lawful execution due to difficult vein access and degraded pentobarbital.

Medical expert opinion

Dr Joel Zivot, a medical expert retained by Pike's team, said she likely never achieved sufficient blood levels of pentobarbital to cause death.

Supreme Court involvement

The US Supreme Court overturned a reprieve granted by a lower court, allowing the execution to proceed initially but halting it later.

Pike's clemency petition

Pike stated she was a mentally ill 18-year-old who intended to beat Slemmer but could not put the brakes on her actions.

“I was a mentally ill 18-year-old kid... It took me numerous years to even realise the gravity of what I'd done.”