Governor Lee: Pike Sentence Stays
Tennessee's top executive says the death penalty remains in effect for Christa Pike despite a failed execution attempt in September.
By Jonathan Ramirez ·
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee stated on Wednesday that he expects Christa Pike's death sentence to remain intact following her failed execution attempt in September, unless the judicial system orders a different outcome.
Lee addressed the question of whether the state would attempt to execute Pike again or commute her sentence to life in prison. He confirmed that Pike is still incarcerated under Tennessee law. "I suspect her sentence will be the same as before unless determined otherwise by the courts," Lee said.
Pike received a death sentence in 1995 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer. During the September execution, she survived two doses of the lethal injection drug. The procedure failed, and Pike was hospitalized for several days. She has since returned to prison and is now able to walk independently and speak in full sentences.
To investigate the cause of the failed execution, Lee paused all state executions through the end of the year. Frank Strada, the commissioner of the Department of Correction, resigned from his post after the incident. This was the second botched execution in Tennessee this year.
Lee said Strada will officially depart his role by the end of the month. The governor expects to announce a replacement for Strada within the next few days.
