State asks judge to stop Pike lawyers from testing leftover execution drug

State officials filed a court request on Friday to block the legal team of Christa Pike from inspecting the lethal injection drugs left over from her failed execution. The move comes after Judge I’Ashea L. Myles ordered the preservation of evidence in the lawsuit brought by Pike’s attorneys. The state argues that allowing the legal team to handle the material violates state laws regarding the secrecy of execution drug suppliers.

The failed execution attempt took place in September. Pike, who is 50 years old, survived two doses of pentobarbital. Her attorneys claim the drug did not enter her bloodstream correctly and instead pooled in her arms, causing burns and blisters. Pike was hospitalized on a ventilator for several days following the procedure. She has since returned to prison and reports being in constant pain.

In an affidavit submitted with the filing, a Tennessee Department of Correction employee stated that the supplier of the pentobarbital would become identifiable if Pike’s lawyers reviewed the vials or their labeling. The employee noted that residue from the botched execution is most likely to be found in the leftover vials. The supplier expressed concern that even redacted labels would reveal the source. The employee added that the department lost a previous supplier in 2024 after that entity's identity was exposed, and warned that finding a new provider could be difficult if the current source is lost.

Jonathan Skrmetti, the Tennessee Attorney General, wrote in the court filing that Pike’s counsel and their experts should not be allowed to see or handle the leftover vials. Tennessee law prohibits the public disclosure of any individual or entity involved in procuring lethal substances or carrying out executions. The state says it is complying with the judge's broader order to preserve evidence, but it seeks to rescind the specific portion allowing inspection and testing.

Luke Ihnen, an attorney for Pike, stated that identifying the supplier publicly was never the goal of the litigation. He said his team needs to review how the pentobarbital was labeled, stored, and handled to determine if it was mixed, transported, or expired incorrectly. Ihnen noted that the legal team still does not know exactly what happened during the September procedure and considers the physical evidence valuable for understanding the failure.

Dorinda Carter, a spokesperson for the Department of Correction, declined to comment due to the pending litigation. The department's commissioner, Frank Strada, announced his resignation following the failed execution. Governor Bill Lee named Christopher Hansen as the interim commissioner. Lee has postponed another lethal injection scheduled for this year and tapped a former U.S. attorney to conduct an independent review of the Pike case.

Pike and her boyfriend killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. Pike was 18 at the time. Slemmer's mother traveled from Florida to watch the execution. Pike's attorneys are asking Governor Lee to change her sentence to life in prison before he leaves office in January. Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn has called for the state to explore alternative execution methods, including the electric chair.