Christa Pike was still alive after two doses of lethal injection, according to her lawyers. The execution attempt took place in Tennessee on September 30, 2026, after the Supreme Court lifted the stay issued by the Sixth Circuit.
Pike had been convicted of murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995 in Knoxville. She was 18 when she committed the crime; the victim, who studied with her at a vocational training center, was 19.
The Tennessee Department of Correction said it had followed the protocol, which did not allow for additional procedures. It also announced Pike’s transfer to an outside medical facility.
