Tennessee woman Christa Pike was taken to hospital on Thursday after authorities failed to complete her execution by lethal injection. Witnesses reported that the convicted murderer was still breathing despite receiving the injections intended to end her life.

Just hours earlier, the US Supreme Court had cleared the way for Pike to become the first woman executed by lethal injection in Tennessee in 200 years. The procedure was scheduled for 10:00 am at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, where journalists and other witnesses were present.

Pike’s lawyers said the state had once again failed to carry out a lawful execution and confirmed she was being treated at a nearby hospital. They said they had not been informed of her exact condition. An investigative journalist who witnessed the event said it did not go as planned and that she appeared to still be alive when the witnesses left the building.

The execution proceeded after the Supreme Court rejected a final application for a stay. Three liberal justices dissented, arguing that the decision prevented lower courts from properly considering Pike’s claims.

Pike was 18 when she and her boyfriend killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer at a job training camp. Her lawyers had sought clemency, citing her young age and mental health issues at the time of the crime, but the state governor declined to intervene.
Only 18 women have been executed in the United States since 1976.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper