Story preview

US murderer Christa Pike unconscious and on ventilator after failed execution, lawyers say

BBC NewsEnglish

About this story

As of Thursday night, Pike remained critically ill and is being treated at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

Summary from BBC News

Section: US & Canada
By: Ione Wells, Sareen Habeshian
Published: Oct 2, 2026, 8:32 PM UTC
Updated: Oct 2, 2026, 8:32 PM UTC

How other outlets describe it

The convicted killer is in hospital in Tennessee after surviving two lethal injections, in a case that has raised many questions.

BBCUnited KingdomWhat happened in the failed execution of Christa Pike - and what next?

Pike survived a lethal injection execution Wednesday. She was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of her classmate, Colleen Slemmer.

NBC NewsUnited StatesChrista Pike unconscious and on a ventilator at Nashville hospital, her lawyers say

Christa Pike remains "critically ill," unconscious and on a ventilator in a hospital after a botched execution attempt Wednesday night, her attorneys said Friday.

ABC7 Los AngelesChrista Pike update: Convicted killer unconscious and on ventilator in hospital after botched execution, attorneys say

Topics in this story

#murderer #christa #pike #unconscious #ventilator

Continue reading on the publisher site for the full article.

Read on publisher →bbc.co.uk

News Atlas is free and independent. If it’s useful to you, you can support it with a coffee. ☕ Buy me a coffee

Background

Context from Wikipedia on the organisations, people and places in this story.

Christa Pike

American murderer (born 1976)

Christa Gail Pike is an American convicted murderer on death row in Tennessee. In Knoxville in 1995, when she was 18, Pike and her boyfriend lured their 19-year-old Job Corps classmate Colleen Slemmer into the woods where they tortured and killed her. In 1996, at the age of 20, Pike was sentenced to death, making her one of the youngest women to receive a death sentence in the United States during the post-Furman period. If executed, she would be the 19th woman executed nationwide since 1976, and the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years.

Nashville, Tennessee

Capital of Tennessee, United States

Nashville is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. It is the 20th-most populous city in the United States and fourth-most populous city in the Southeast, with a population of 689,447 at the 2020 census. The Nashville metropolitan area, with over 2.15 million people, is the 35th-largest metropolitan area in the country. Nashville is among the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.

Tennessee

U.S. state

Tennessee, officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, Arkansas to the southwest, and Missouri to the northwest. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. According to the United States Census Bureau, the state's estimated population as of 2024 is 7.22 million.

At a glance

Outlets covering it

in the last 3 days

First reported

2 days ago

12 outlets since

Countries

Coverage

Tone

Who else is covering this

12 other outlets reported this story in the last 3 days.

What happened in the failed execution of Christa Pike - and what next?BBCUnited Kingdom7 hr. ago
Christa Pike unconscious and on a ventilator at Nashville hospital, her lawyers sayNBC NewsUnited States2 days ago
Christa Pike update: Convicted killer unconscious and on ventilator in hospital after botched execution, attorneys sayABC7 Los Angeles2 days ago
Christa Pike remains on ventilator after failed execution in TennesseeThe GuardianUnited Kingdom2 days ago
Christa Pike unconscious, on ventilator after botched execution: LawyersAl JazeeraQatar2 days ago
Tennessee execution survivor Christa Pike unconscious on ventilator, lawyers sayReutersUnited Kingdom2 days ago
Christa Pike unconscious after failed execution — attorneysDW.comGermany2 days ago
Christa Pike's failed execution: Convicted murderer remains on ventilatorWSMV2 days ago
Christa Pike on a ventilator after botched execution, court docs sayUSA TodayUnited States2 days ago
Botched execution leaves Tennessee murderer Christa Pike unconscious on ventilatorThe Times of IndiaIndia2 days ago
Convicted Murderer Christa Pike On Ventilator After Failed Execution In USNDTVIndia45 hr. ago
Tennessee execution survivor Christa Pike on ventilator, attorneys sayForth.News2 days ago

Who else is covering this

Where in the world it’s covered

Coverage over time

Tone of the coverage

About the publisher

BBC News

Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

Visit BBC News ↗

Latest from BBC News

Girl, 12, fatally shot in US during 'dispute over parking space'BBCUnited Kingdom11 hr. ago
Bahrain GP in Malaysia: Lewis Hamilton bemused after F1 'Lego race'BBCUnited Kingdom13 hr. ago
Brazil election goes to run-off as right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro wins first roundBBCUnited Kingdom9 hr. ago
Christa Pike's prognosis still unclear after failed execution, lawyer saysBBCUnited Kingdom13 hr. ago
'Money-grab' or celebration? NFL kicks off London seriesBBCUnited Kingdom9 hr. ago

US murderer Christa Pike unconscious and on ventilator after failed execution, lawyers say

About this story

How other outlets describe it

Background

Christa Pike

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee

At a glance

Who else is covering this

Who else is covering this

Where in the world it’s covered

Coverage over time

Tone of the coverage

About the publisher

Latest from BBC News

About the publisher

Related topics

About the publisher

Latest from BBC News

Who else is covering this

Background

Christa Pike

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee

How other outlets describe it