US News
Former chief recalls Christa Pike 'almost giddy' describing 1995 murder
Fox News reports that Gov. Bill Lee suspects Christa Pike's death sentence will stand after a failed September 30 execution.
The short version
- Tennessee's September 30 lethal injection attempt on Christa Pike failed after she received two doses of pentobarbital.[Fox News]
- Gov. Bill Lee said he suspects her death sentence will stay the same unless courts determine otherwise.[Fox News]
- Former Knoxville police chief Phil Keith recalled Pike as ruthless and almost giddy while describing Colleen Slemmer's 1995 murder.[Fox News]
- Lee halted Tennessee's remaining executions for the year and ordered an independent review of what went wrong.[Fox News]
Key facts
- Tennessee's lethal injection attempt on Christa Pike on September 30 failed after she received two doses of pentobarbital.[Fox News]
- Pike was taken to a hospital, remained unconscious for days, and has since returned to prison.[Fox News]
- Gov. Bill Lee said he suspects Pike's death sentence will remain the same unless determined otherwise by the courts.[Fox News]
- Lee halted Tennessee's remaining executions for the year and ordered an independent review of what went wrong.[Fox News]
- Former Knoxville police chief Phil Keith described Pike as ruthless and almost giddy while discussing the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Whether the state could attempt to execute Pike again is unresolved, according to the reporting.[Fox News]
- Lee's view that the sentence will stay the same is a suspicion, and the courts have not yet determined the outcome.[Fox News]
- Keith's characterization of Pike is his recollection of investigators' interactions with her, and the reporting does not independently confirm it.[Fox News]
- The findings of the independent review Lee ordered are not reported.[Fox News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.