Emergency call records have revealed confusion among prison staff and emergency call handlers following the failed execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike in Tennessee last month. Pike, 50, who was convicted of killing Colleen Slemmer in 1995, was administered two doses of lethal injection on 30 September.
After it became clear that Pike would not die from the dosage, she was taken to hospital. The confusion reportedly stemmed in part from a disconnect between prison staff, which allegedly delayed her treatment.
Pike has since been discharged from hospital, though her team has stated she faces a "long road to recovery". Her case is considered to be in uncharted territory, as she is believed to be the only person to have survived a lethal injection execution attempt.
The head of Tennessee's corrections department is resigning following the botched execution. Governor Bill Lee has paused state executions for the remainder of the year, and an investigation into the incident is underway.