May Martinez, the mother of Christa Pike’s victim, has described the scene inside the execution chamber as “a mess.” She witnessed the Tennessee inmate survive two rounds of lethal injection.
Martinez traveled from Florida to Nashville this week to witness Pike’s execution.
A jury convicted Pike in 1996 of murdering Martinez’s daughter, 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. The murder took place in Knoxville in 1995.
Pike and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, beat and killed Slemmer. Pike had accused her of trying to steal her boyfriend.
Martinez Describes What Happened
Speaking to NBC News on Thursday morning, Martinez said the execution did not go as expected.
“They went to try to execute her, and she didn’t die,” she said.
However, Martinez said witnesses received little information during the procedure.
“We didn’t know anything until we got up to the office and saw the commissioner. And he said that it didn’t work, that it didn’t work, and she’s on her way to the hospital,” she said.
Later, Martinez addressed Tennessee’s governor and attorney general.
“They f***** up,” she said.
In addition, Martinez said Pike showed no remorse during the execution attempt.
Execution Procedure Runs Into Problems
According to AP, the procedure began at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution at around 8:00 p.m. local time.
During the process, officials reportedly closed the curtain to the witness room twice. At one point, they also asked media witnesses to leave.
Tennessee’s execution protocol allows officials to use a second round of injections if the first round fails.
However, the protocol does not explain what officials should do if the inmate remains alive after the second round.
As a result, Pike’s legal team filed an emergency motion. The attorneys asked the court to halt the execution and provide medical care.
District Judge Clifton L. Corker granted the request. He noted that medical personnel had already started treating Pike.
Doctor Raises Concerns About the Injection
Meanwhile, Dr. Joel Zivot commented on what may have happened.
Zivot is a professor at Emory University School of Medicine. Pike’s attorneys retained him for the case.
He said Pike may never have reached a high enough concentration of pentobarbital in her blood.
According to Zivot, that could have prevented the drug from causing fatal apnea or cardiovascular failure.
He also warned about the delay before resuscitation began. That delay, he said, could result in brain injury.
Tennessee Department of Correction Responds
The Tennessee Department of Correction has defended its handling of the execution.
A spokesperson told The Tennessean that staff followed every step of the approved protocol.
The Attorney General’s Office had approved that protocol.
The spokesperson also said the lethal injection chemical “has consistently been effective.”
In addition, the department said the protocol does not allow officials to perform extra procedures beyond those already carried out.
Governor Orders Third-Party Review
Following the failed execution attempt, Governor Bill Lee ordered a review.
He called it “a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred.”
Meanwhile, the state’s final scheduled execution of the year will not proceed as planned.
This marks the second execution problem in Tennessee this year.
In May, staff could not find a vein during the scheduled execution of Tony Carruthers.
Martinez Remembers Her Daughter
Before the execution, Martinez spoke to the outlet Clarín about her daughter.
She remembered Colleen as a 19-year-old who loved computers, retro video games, and the roller rink.
For Martinez, speaking publicly also means keeping her daughter’s memory alive.
“I am her voice. Someone has to speak for Colleen,” she said.