Capital Punishment in the US

Pike case marks second botched execution in a short time

The attempted execution of Christa Pike was the second failure in just a few months in Tennessee, reports the *New York Times*. In May, the state was forced to halt an execution after staff failed to locate a suitable vein.

"A lot has changed," says Robin Maher, director of the Death Penalty Information Center, regarding how the death penalty is carried out in the state.

Pike received two doses of pentobarbital but survived. Following the incident, Governor Bill Lee has halted the remaining executions scheduled for this year and ordered an investigation.

Christa Pike in critical condition – receiving medical care

Christa Pike, who survived a botched execution yesterday, is in critical condition, her lawyers told the AP.

She is receiving life-saving medical care at a hospital after being administered two doses of the lethal drug pentobarbital.

Pike’s attorney, Randy Spivey, describes the botched execution as cruel and akin to torture. He states that the person administering the injection could not find a vein, and that Pike even suggested where on her arm they might try inserting the needle.

Pike was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of another teenager. 

Expert slams the justice system’s methods: "Nothing is reliable"

The botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee highlights problems with the methods employed by the US justice system. This is the view of Emma Ricknell, a senior lecturer in political science at Linnaeus University. "Various methods have been tried, but none are reliable when it comes to ending a human life," she tells Aftonbladet.

Ricknell points out, among other things, that pharmaceutical companies do not want their drugs used in executions. The human factor and how the body reacts to the drugs can also affect the outcome.