Christa Pike Survives Two Doses of Pentobarbital and Tennessee Halts Executions for the Rest of 2026 — Gov. Bill Lee Calls It "a Tragedy," Marsha Blackburn Says "Bring Back the Electric Chair," and Democrats Say "a State That Can't Even Follow Its Own Rules Has No Business Killing Anyone"
On the night of Sept. 30, 2026, Tennessee tried to execute Christa Gail Pike — the only woman on the state's death row, convicted of the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville — and failed. A state appeals court had stayed the execution that morning; the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the stay later in the day. Witnesses at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution said Pike was still breathing, and audibly snoring, after two doses of pentobarbital. Media witnesses were escorted out, and Pike was taken from the prison by ambulance. Death penalty researchers called it unprecedented. It was the state's second botched execution of the year. In May, the execution team spent more than an hour failing to place an IV in Tony Carruthers. On Oct. 1, Gov. Bill Lee ordered "a comprehensive, third-party review" and halted the one execution still scheduled for 2026. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican nominee for governor, called for bringing back the electric chair. Republican legislative leaders backed Lee's review but said lethal injection may need to be replaced, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he wants to add potassium chloride to the protocol. Democratic legislators called for legislative oversight of the Department of Correction and for a suspension of the death penalty.
“I agree with Governor Lee that a thorough review is necessary. When a criminal viciously takes another human being's life and is lawfully sentenced to death, the state of Tennessee must be able to carry out that sentence effectively and uphold justice for the victim and their family. … If the investigation finds that lethal injection is not a reliable method carrying out lawful death sentences, we must consider alternative methods and improved protocols.”