Christa Pike’s IV team warned vein might be ‘blowing’ before failed execution
New account from Pike’s lawyer suggests team was racked by doubts even before pentobarbital began to flow
TL;DR
- The Tennessee execution team reportedly warned that Christa Pike's vein might be 'blowing' during the attempted lethal injection.
- The IV team used up to 10 needles and struggled for almost an hour to establish an intravenous line.
- Doubts about finding a viable vein were expressed by team members before the lethal drug was administered.
- Pike survived the execution attempt, with a lawyer's account suggesting the pentobarbital may have entered tissue instead of her bloodstream due to a blown vein.
- The failed execution has prompted a review of all executions in Tennessee and follows another failed attempt in May with prisoner Tony Carruthers.
- Lawyers for death row prisoners had previously warned of incompetence in the execution teams, predicting risks of cruel and unusual punishment.