Christa Pike execution fails and witnesses react. ‘None of this was normal.’

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Christa Pike was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 10 a.m. Sept. 30 at Riverbend Maxiumum Security Institution in Nashville. However, the procedure was not successful and she received medical care following an execution attempt, according to a court filing. Her attorneys reported she was still breathing after receiving two doses of lethal injections.

Execution witnesses told reporters that they were asked to leave while Pike apparently was still alive. Reporters were waiting to hear from the Tennessee Department of Corrections as an ambulance arrived.

Hours later, they were still waiting and reported that prison officials told them they would need to leave the property.

Media witnesses who were in a death chamber viewing room reported that Pike talked about experiencing pain during the process.

"She said that there was a spot that was burning and asked if that was normal," witness WLPN health reporter Catherine Sweeney said. "None of it was normal. I covered all the executions last year and most of the ones this year. We haven’t seen anything like it. It went really poorly."

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