Aunt Calls God’s Hand on Botched Execution of Tennessee Death Row Inmate
Carrie Ross, who raised Christa Pike, says the failed lethal-injection on Sept. 30 was an act of God and urges the state to spare Pike’s life.
Christa Pike, a Tennessee death-row inmate, survived a botched lethal-injection on Sept. 30, prompting her aunt Carrie Ross to claim the incident was an act of God. Ross, who helped raise Pike and describes her as a daughter, said divine intervention, not the Department of Correction, determined the outcome. Pike, who was sentenced for the 1995 murder of classmate Colleen Slemmer, is now hospitalized with pneumonia, a blood clot, and an inability to eat.
Ross urged officials to commute the sentence, arguing a second execution would constitute torture. She emphasized that Pike has already endured the intended punishment and should be spared further suffering.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about execution protocols and the role of religious belief in criminal justice decisions.
How this story developed
- Oct 1 Tennessee suspends death-penalty executions through year-end after failed lethal injection
- Oct 2 Pike remains in critical condition in hospital after the failed execution.
- Oct 2 Christa Pike was placed on a ventilator and remained unconscious after a botched execution in Tennessee, according to her lawyers.
- Oct 3 Tennessee has postponed the remaining scheduled execution for the year.
- Oct 3 Severe burns and blistering were documented on Pike’s arms after multiple needle attempts.
- Oct 3 Frank Strada announced his resignation as head of the Tennessee Department of Correction.
- Oct 5 Governor Lee suspended all Tennessee executions for the rest of the year.
- Oct 6 Pike reported to be awake and speaking while hospitalized.
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