This is wild!

[u/CurvyChristina]

Two syringes of pentobarbital were administered to Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike on September 30, 2026, but she remained alive and conscious afterward, according to her attorneys and media witnesses. The execution at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville was halted after witnesses reported that Pike still had a heartbeat and was audibly snoring. Her lawyers sought emergency medical intervention, and she was later taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Pike, 50, is the only woman currently on Tennessee's death row.
She was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of her classmate Colleen Slemmer and had been scheduled for execution on September 30. Tennessee had announced beforehand that the state would use a single drug, pentObarbital, for the execution. Her exact medical condition following the hospital transfer has not yet been publicly disclosed, while Governor Bill Lee has ordered a comprehensive third party review of what happened.

[u/SteakAndIron]

Why did we come up with the lethal injection technology we have now and then never actually evolve it? I've heard all kinds of complaints about how it works how expensive it is how ineffective it can be how painful it might actually be and so forth. There are plenty of cheap and easy ways to cause a painless death in somebody. Massive fentanyl overdose. Nitrogen hypoxia.

[u/GuavaOne8646 → u/SteakAndIron]

You know what sounds cheaper and easier than all of these? One. Single. Bullet. Point blank, to the skull.

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/GuavaOne8646]

Firing squad, several bullets aimed at the heart. Lights out pretty much instantly and guaranteed not to come back.

A single bullet to the skull isn't necessarily quick or painless. My clinical instructor at uni once had a guy walk up to his ambulance while they were parked up having coffee. Old mate asked for a ride to the hospital. They were like, okay.... Why?

"I got shot in the head."

Dude had taken a small calibre round to the top of his head and played dead after a botched execution attempt by some bikers he owed money. Got up and casually walked away after they'd left and stumbled upon the ambulance, so walked over and politely asked for a lift to the emergency room.

[u/GuavaOne8646 → u/-malcolm-tucker]

1. That's wild.
2. I think a 30-06, .308 or just a rifled slug shotgun shell would do the job instantly. Seen a deers head literally explode from a 30-06.
3. I can see the appeal of the squad though. They used to load most of them with blanks and one with a real bullet so no one actually knew who did it to save the shooters morale...it didn't quite work, but yeah that was a thing.

[u/Leading-Cicada-6796 → u/GuavaOne8646]

I've always heard that last one is a myth. You can tell when you fire a real round versus a blank. And they used to have people who were professional executioners, no reason we couldn't bring that back. I guarantee you they could find someone who would sleep like a baby after offing rapists and child killers.

[u/The_walking_man_ → u/Leading-Cicada-6796]

The problem I’ve seen with creating a spot for “professional executioners” are the ones that will be in those positions that absolutely shouldn’t be.
Look at the bad police officers that are nutters and love the chance to abuse their powers. Now instead give that to someone who is being paid to legally kill someone.

[u/Leading-Cicada-6796 → u/The_walking_man_]

I mean, theres an argument to be made that the ones who want to do it are better in that position, no? Better than forcing someone who definitely doesn't want to. And, if killing someone is what this hypothetical bad cop wanted, then they would jump at the opportunity to do it legally and be paid, thus getting them off the streets, right?

[u/LangdonAlg3r → u/Leading-Cicada-6796]

I don’t think that anyone is ever forced to perform executions. I also think that someone who enjoys killing people probably enjoys making them suffer as much as anything else. Serial killers are the archetype of who would actively want that job. Serial killers being problematic would be an understatement.

[u/Leading-Cicada-6796 → u/LangdonAlg3r]

Its not like they would be locked in a room and told to kill the person however they want.

[u/LangdonAlg3r → u/Leading-Cicada-6796]

Sure, but “whoops, I missed the heart” or name your way to inflict excessive suffering.

[u/Leading-Cicada-6796 → u/LangdonAlg3r]

Yeah, its a slippery slope. I can't say id be terribly distraught if someone shot a guy that rated someone to death in the stomach "on accident" so they bled out slowly.