Lawyer for death row inmate set to be first woman executed by US state in over 200 years makes new request
A lawyer representing a death row inmate set to be executed later this year has issued a fresh request following a failed execution last month.
Christa Gail Pike is set to become the first woman in the US to be executed in over 200 years on September 30, after she was found guilty of murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995.
Pike and two others lured Slemmer to her death in the woods in Knoxville, where she was beaten, stabbed, and bludgeoned, and had a pentagram carved into her chest.
The death row inmate allegedly thought Slemmer was trying to steal her boyfriend.
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Slemmer's body was later found by a groundskeeper who testified that 'the body was so badly beaten that he had first mistaken it for the corpse of an animal', as per CBS.
Attorney Stephen Ferrell, who represents Pike, has expressed concerns ahead of the execution and has made a request to the state.
In a press release, he said: "We are particularly concerned given Christa Pike’s blood condition thrombocytopenia, which leads to excessive bleeding, as well as her small veins which make the insertion of a needle difficult, even for the most trained medical professionals."
Ferrel went on to express caution as 'the difficulty establishing IV lines is a known complication that has caused prolonged and botched executions for years..'
The lawyer continued: "Pike’s unique condition would cause a bloody froth in her lungs that would amount to drowning.
"Since the state released the 2025 execution protocol, defense counsel, medical experts, and advocates have warned that the lack of clarity on any number of issues would result in a torturous execution."
It comes after the failed execution of Tony Carruthers last month, as staff members were unable to find a vein to administer a lethal injection.
Medical personnel ‘quickly established a primary IV line’ at the start of the execution, according to The Department of Corrections, though they could not locate a suitable backup line.
"The team continued to follow the protocol, but could not find another suitable vein. The team attempted to insert a central line pursuant to the protocol, but the procedure was unsuccessful," a statement read
"The execution was then called off.”
Director of the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project, Casey Stubbs, described the failed execution as ‘barbaric', as per the Commercial Appeal.
Gov. Bill Lee has since issued a reprieve to delay Carruthers execution by a year.
Callum Jones