Tennessee Death Row Inmate Survives Two Rounds of Lethal Injection
A Tennessee death row inmate sentenced for murder 31 years ago survived being administered lethal injection drugs twice, leading to the suspension of her execution. Following the botched execution, the head of the state corrections department announced his resignation.
According to The New York Times and The Washington Post on the 3th (local time), Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that Frank Strada, the state’s corrections commissioner, will step down at the end of the month.
Execution Botched as Inmate is Heard Snoring After 40 Minutes
Earlier on the 30th of last month, death row inmate Christa Pike (50) was administered lethal injection drugs twice at a prison in Nashville, Tennessee, but did not die and was transferred to a hospital. Reporters who witnessed the execution stated that Pike was still alive after the drugs were administered and could be heard snoring 40 minutes after the injection.
Pike’s attorneys filed an emergency application with the Tennessee Supreme Court, arguing that she suffered extreme pain during the execution process. They claimed that inflicting unnecessary pain violates the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Governor Pauses All Executions and Orders Independent Investigation
While confirming that Pike survived, the Tennessee Department of Correction stated that the execution was attempted in accordance with prescribed procedures. Tennessee regulations dictate that if an inmate does not die after the first drug is administered, a second drug is to be given. However, there are reportedly no specific guidelines on what to do if the inmate survives even after the second administration.
Governor Lee decided to suspend all executions in Tennessee for the remainder of the year and launch an independent investigation into the incident.
This marks the second execution failure in Tennessee this year, following an earlier incident where medical personnel failed to properly insert an intravenous line.
