Death-row inmate Christa Pike had elevated platelets when lethal injection failed

New information about the failure of the lethal injection administered to death-row inmate Christa Pike shows that her lawyers had warned, in a document filed with the court in January, about the significantly elevated platelet count. The execution failed at the beginning of October, and the woman was transported to a medical facility in critical condition.

Her lawyers claim that Pike was diagnosed with thrombocytosis associated with a myeloproliferative neoplasm, a rare condition in which the body produces excessive amounts of certain blood cells. According to the document, this medical problem may have increased her risk of pulmonary edema, meaning a buildup of fluid in the lungs. The legal team warned that the injection could cause pain, suffering, terror, and shame.

Pike had previously requested that the execution be carried out by an all-female firing squad, citing concerns about medical complications. Tennessee authorities rejected the request because a firing squad is not a legally authorized method in that state.

Christa Pike was sentenced to death for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. The crime occurred when Pike was 18, at a vocational training center for young people. The case attracted public attention after a carved pentagram was found on the victim's body in the chest area.