Tennessee death row inmate survives state's attempt to carry out execution

A Tennessee death row inmate survived the state's attempt to execute her by lethal injection late Wednesday, prison officials said, in what would have been the first execution of a woman in the state in two centuries.

Christa Pike, who was convicted of murdering a schoolmate roughly three decades ago, was taken for medical treatment from the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville following the failed attempt, according to prison officials.

Pike's condition after the ordeal was not immediately known. It also remained unclear what legal avenues either her defence team or the state might pursue next following the failed execution.

Background

Pike has been on death row following her conviction in the killing of a fellow student, a case dating back decades. Had the execution been carried out successfully, it would have marked the first time Tennessee executed a woman in 200 years.

The failed attempt is likely to draw renewed scrutiny of lethal injection procedures in Tennessee, a method that has faced legal and procedural challenges in multiple US states in recent years. Authorities have not yet detailed publicly what went wrong during the attempt.

Further updates on Pike's medical condition, and on any legal proceedings that follow, are expected as the situation develops.