Lee: Pike's sentence likely stays after failed execution
Governor Bill Lee says the 1995 murder conviction stands unless courts rule otherwise.
By Lauren Foster ·
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee believes Christa Pike's death sentence will remain in effect.
Lee made the comment Wednesday in Nashville. He addressed the state's next steps for Pike after her execution attempt failed in September.
The governor said Pike is still incarcerated under Tennessee law. He stated, "I suspect her sentence will be the same as before unless determined otherwise by the courts."
Pike received two doses of lethal injection drug in September. The procedure did not end her life. She spent several days in a hospital before returning to prison. She can now speak in full sentences and walk without assistance.
Pike was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer. The September event was the second failed execution in Tennessee this year. Frank Strada resigned as commissioner of the Department of Correction. Lee said Strada will leave by the end of October. The governor expects to name a replacement within days.
Lee paused all executions through the end of the year. The pause allows the state to determine what went wrong during Pike's attempt.
Source: WHPM-LD
