Tennessee halts execution after botched Christa Pike procedure

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 5 Oct, 12:24 · Archive

Tennessee has suspended an inmate's execution scheduled for December following a failed lethal injection attempt on another prisoner.

Tennessee suspended the scheduled execution of Gary Wayne Sutton after Christa Pike's failed lethal injection on 30 September. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital but survived the procedure, which took place at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.

James Crowson, a former lawyer for Pike, said he was not surprised by the botched execution because defence filings had warned that difficulties accessing her veins could make the procedure dangerous and potentially cruel. Crowson said the failed execution represented 'exactly what happened' that attorneys had previously predicted.

How it is being reported

• Christa Pike's grim future after botched execution as 'horrifying injury picture leaks'The Mirror · 5 Oct, 13:02
• Christa Pike’s lawyers had warned execution would be ‘difficult and perhaps cruel’ due to her veinsThe Guardian · 5 Oct, 12:00
• Christa Pike's botched execution spares killer from death weeks before lethal injectionDaily Mail · 5 Oct, 06:32

In this story: Tennessee · Christa Pike · Gary Wayne Sutton · Riverbend Maximum Security Institution · James Crowson

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