Tennessee's Failed Injection Costs 5 Grams

Christa Pike survived 5 grams of pentobarbital, a dose intended to stop her heart. The Tennessee Department of Corrections administered the drug on 30 September after a 60-minute attempt to secure intravenous lines failed to produce a stable connection.

Randy Spivey, Pike's attorney, filed a detailed account of the procedure in court on Thursday. His chronology states that four unidentified members of the IV team used approximately 10 needles. They poked Pike's arms repeatedly without securing a line. At several points, the team expressed concern that her veins had blown.

The protocol required 50cc of pentobarbital to enter each arm. Joel Zivot, a professor of anesthesiology and surgery in Atlanta, provided expert testimony before the execution. He noted that the team used a 24-gauge needle at 7:05 pm. Zivot identified that catheter size as typical for infants or small children. He stated there was no way to push a 50cc syringe through such a small catheter without blowing the vein.

A team member reported at 7:07 pm that they believed the vein was blown. The group then attempted to locate a vein using ultrasound. Jonathan Groner, an emeritus professor of clinical surgery at Ohio State University, said the technique requires many hours of specialist training. He noted that teams typically need 20 actual procedures to perform the method smoothly. He concluded the execution team clearly did not know how to use the equipment.

At 7:23 pm, saline was pushed through the line with difficulty. Groner called this a flashing red light. One minute later, at 7:24 pm, the team concluded the IV was set. They began the procedure. Groner stated that no clinician would administer a caustic drug through an IV that did not flush easily.

Pike grimaced during the process and stated her arm was really burning. The label on the pentobarbital vial instructs staff to stop infusion immediately if a patient complains of pain. Spivey's account records these complaints. Zivot listed several serious failings in his analysis. He cited a poorly written protocol, a lack of clear leadership, and catheters that were too small for the volume of drug required.

Pike was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 years old at the time. After the failed execution, she spent several days on a ventilator. Her lawyers assumed she was brain-dead. She returned to her prison cell after 10 days in hospital. She can now talk and walk, though her long-term health prospects remain unknown.

Tennessee has called off all executions pending a review. The case has prompted a nationwide examination of the death penalty. Both Zivot and Groner said the incident exposes deep structural problems with lethal injection. It remains the dominant method of execution in the United States. Zivot said the team pressed on when it should have stopped. He noted that medicine is obsessed with safety, accountability, and training. He stated that none of those elements were visible in Pike's execution chamber.

Groner described the process as a medical charade. He said the ultimate penalty in the country is death. He emphasized that it is not torture followed by death. The state's review will determine if Pike is executed again or if the method changes.