Christa Pike’s failed execution has left major questions about what happens next, particularly if the 50-year-old remains seriously impaired after the attempt. Pike, who was sentenced to death in Tennessee for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, survived a lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and was later taken to a hospital. Before the execution, Pike’s attorneys had warned that her physical condition could complicate the procedure. During the attempt, she reportedly received pentobarbital and was heard making sounds before witnesses noticed that something appeared to be going wrong. The viewing-room curtains were reportedly raised several times, preventing witnesses from seeing parts of what was happening. Now, questions about Pike’s condition and the state’s ability to attempt another execution have taken center stage.

Fordham University School of Law professor Deborah Denno said Pike could face a significant legal barrier if the procedure left her with brain damage that prevents her from understanding what is happening. Denno pointed to a 2019 Supreme Court case involving a person with dementia, explaining that constitutional protections can prevent the execution of someone who lacks awareness of the punishment they are facing. She also said Pike could potentially have a double-jeopardy argument under the Fifth Amendment, an issue that could become central to future court proceedings. Her attorney, Stephen Ferrell, had already asked Tennessee’s governor to commute Pike’s sentence, citing her history of trauma and mental health difficulties, as well as the fact that she was 18 when Slemmer was killed. Pike has spent more than three decades in prison, much of that time in solitary confinement. Whether Tennessee could legally pursue another execution will depend on Pike’s medical condition, constitutional arguments and decisions by the courts — leaving her future far from settled.