Tennessee execution of Christa Pike botched; inmate survives two lethal doses

Christa Pike, the first woman sentenced to death in Tennessee in 200 years, survived two lethal injection doses on September 30, 2026, after the drug partially entered tissues rather than the bloodstream. She remains in critical condition on a respirator. The botched execution raises legal and ethical questions about the state's lethal injection protocol and may prompt litigation or moratorium discussions.