Anesthesiologist Advocates Against Lethal Injection in Christa Pike Case

Dr. Joel Zivot, an anesthesiologist who consulted with Christa Pike’s defense team, recently spoke with Bill Hemmer about the legal implications following a judge’s order for Tennessee officials to retain evidence from Pike’s unsuccessful execution. Zivot highlighted the challenges associated with the lethal injection drugs used during the state’s attempt. Despite the failed execution, Pike remains on death row.

A former police chief from Tennessee, who looked into the murder that led to Pike’s death sentence, described her behavior during the investigation as “ruthless” and even “almost giddy” when discussing the crime. Meanwhile, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee indicated that Pike’s death sentence would likely remain unchanged despite the botched execution.

Pike, now 50 years old, survived the attempted execution by lethal injection on September 30. She has been returned to prison, prompting discussions about the state’s options for trying to execute her again.

During an address on Pike’s situation, Governor Lee remarked that she is still serving her sentence under Tennessee law. “I suspect her sentence will be the same as it was before unless determined otherwise by the courts,” he stated.

Pike’s attorneys are pushing for her death sentence to be commuted to life without parole after the flawed execution attempt. She was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, who was a participant in the same federal Job Corps program in Knoxville.

Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith recounted Pike’s demeanor while being interrogated about the crime in a recent documentary titled “No Mercy: Christa Pike Unraveled.” He described her as “ruthless, without any remorse,” portraying her as someone almost proud when recounting the details of the murder.

Keith echoed these sentiments in remarks to Fox News Digital, labeling Pike as “pure evil.” He recollected how, upon returning to the Job Corps, Pike openly expressed her excitement about the murder and even bragged about it in class, showing her bloodstained shoes as proof.

At the time of the murder, Pike was only 18, charged alongside her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and another individual named Shadolla Peterson. The crime involved luring Slemmer to a remote location on the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville campus, where Pike inflicted severe injuries, including cutting her throat and causing blunt force trauma. A pentagram was also carved into Slemmer’s chest.

Keith remarked that even seasoned homicide investigators were taken aback by the gruesome nature of the crime scene, which he described as shockingly brutal.

Pike was convicted and handed a death sentence in 1996, later upheld by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

On September 30, 2026, Tennessee made an attempt to execute Pike following a brief stay issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. The execution failed after Pike received two doses of the anesthetic pentobarbital, resulting in her being taken to the hospital where she was initially unconscious for several days. Her attorneys had feared she was brain-dead at one point but were relieved when she eventually regained consciousness and was discharged back to prison.

In the aftermath of the execution attempt, Governor Lee paused all remaining executions in the state for the year and mandated an independent review of the incident.

Pike’s legal team continues to argue against subjecting her to another execution attempt, advocating for a commutation that dates back before the failed execution. In a filing made with the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2021, they highlighted her young age at the time of the crime, along with a history of trauma and mental health issues.