Christa Pike Critically Ill After Failed Tennessee Execution
publishers 72articles 135first reported 1 Oct, 10:15 UTCdeveloping since 1 Oct · 18 editions
Christa Pike remained critically ill, unconscious and on a ventilator Friday after surviving Tennessee’s attempt to execute her by lethal injection, according to her attorneys. Medical staff at a Nashville-area hospital were working to clear two doses of pentobarbital from her system.
Pike’s lawyers said the execution team struggled for nearly an hour to establish intravenous access. CBS News reported that a court filing said the IV team used at least seven needles. A court filing said one needle was bent when removed and that Pike’s arms were swollen, burned and blistered when she reached the hospital. Her attorneys allege the IV lines were improperly placed or her veins had failed, allowing the drug to enter surrounding tissue rather than her bloodstream. They said the team administered a second dose after the first failed to stop her breathing.
The filing asks a court to require the Tennessee Department of Correction to preserve evidence connected to Wednesday’s execution attempt. Pike’s attorneys called the procedure “cruel,” “torturous” and “predictable,” saying the state had been warned that a blood condition and her history of difficult IV placement could complicate the process. They have called for her sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment.
Lee halted Tennessee executions for the rest of the year and, according to the BBC, ordered an independent review of the state’s procedures. Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer. She is Tennessee’s only woman on death row and would have been the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 6 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 38 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 72
- Source articles
- 135
- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 6
- This version written
- 38 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: The story is largely supported, but a few claims need narrowed wording or attribution to match the sources. - "Pike’s lawyers said the execution team struggled for nearly an hour to establish intravenous access and used at least seven needles.": NPR says at least seven needles were used on her left arm, while CBS says the IV team used at least seven needles overall; neither source states the execution team struggled for nearly an hour and used at least seven needles as a single combined lawyer statement in this exact scope. - "They have asked Gov. Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life imprisonment.": The sources say Pike’s lawyers called for commutation and attorney Randy Spivey called on Lee to commute the sentence, but do not say the lawyers formally asked Gov. Bill Lee to commute it. - "Lee halted Tennessee executions for the rest of the year and ordered an independent review of the state’s procedures.": The sources say Lee halted or suspended executions for the rest of the year; only BBC says he ordered an independent review, so this needs attribution to the source that says it.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Christa Pike Critically Ill After Failed Tennessee Execution
Christa Pike remained critically ill, unconscious and on a ventilator Friday after surviving Tennessee’s attempt to execute her by lethal injection, according to her attorneys. Medical staff at a Nashville-area hospital were working to clear two doses of pentobarbital from her system.
Pike’s lawyers said the execution team struggled for nearly an hour to establish intravenous accessaccess. andCBS News reported that a court filing said the IV team used at least seven needles. A court filing said one needle was bent when removed and that Pike’s arms were swollen, burned and blistered when she reached the hospital. Her attorneys allege the IV lines were improperly placed or her veins had failed, allowing the drug to enter surrounding tissue rather than her bloodstream. They said the team administered a second dose after the first failed to stop her breathing.
The filing asks a court to require the Tennessee Department of Correction to preserve evidence connected to Wednesday’s execution attempt. Pike’s attorneys called the procedure “cruel,” “torturous” and “predictable,” saying the state had been warned that a blood condition and her history of difficult IV placement could complicate the process. They have askedcalled Gov. Bill Lee to commutefor her sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment.
Lee halted Tennessee executions for the rest of the year andand, according to the BBC, ordered an independent review of the state’s procedures. Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer. She is Tennessee’s only woman on death row and would have been the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →