Christa Pike’s Lawyers Reportedly Warned of Rare Blood Disorder Before Failed Execution Attempt Lawyers for Tennessee death-row inmate Christa Pike reportedly raised serious concerns about her health months before her execution attempt, warning that a blood disorder could make lethal injection especially painful and dangerous. In a January complaint, her legal team argued that the procedure could cause “pain and suffering, terror, and disgrace.”

According to the complaint, Pike had a significantly elevated platelet count, which her lawyers believed could be linked to a rare blood cancer known as a myeloproliferative disorder. They warned that this could increase the risk of pulmonary edema, a dangerous buildup of fluid in the lungs that can create an intense sensation of suffocation. Her lawyers also cited difficulties with her veins and previous problems inserting needles.

The concerns reportedly included Tennessee’s execution procedures and the difficulty of establishing IV access. During the failed attempt, prison staff struggled to insert IV lines before administering two doses of pentobarbital. Pike survived, spent more than a week in hospital and was later transferred to a maximum-security unit. The Tennessee Department of Correction said the execution team followed protocol, while Governor Bill Lee suspended executions for the remainder of the year.

Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, whom prosecutors said Pike and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, lured to a wooded area and killed. Shipp, who was 17 at the time, received a life sentence and was denied parole in October 2025. Pike’s case has renewed attention on the medical risks and procedures involved in carrying out executions.