Tennessee fails to execute Christa Pike after two lethal injections; governor halts year's executions

Tennessee officials attempted to execute Christa Pike, 50, Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court lifted an appeals court stay, but she survived two doses of pentobarbital and was taken to a hospital, witnesses said. Her attorneys had filed emergency litigation calling the attempt cruel and unusual punishment. Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer. Gov. Bill Lee halted Tennessee's remaining scheduled executions for 2026.