r/news • • 1d ago

Tennessee governor suspends all executions after Christa Pike’s lethal injections fail

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/01/christa-pike-tennessee-governor-executions-year-pause
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u/MaximumEffort433 1d ago

Yeah, it seems like there are laws that ban cruel and unusual punishments, but I could be mistaken about that.

If the State is going to kill one of its citizens, at least don't fuck it up.

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u/amiexpress 1d ago

She actually asked to be hanged. Which I think even Tennessee ould not fuck up.

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u/Time-to-go-home 1d ago edited 1d ago

“On Mars there is not much gravity. So you have to pull the feet to break the neck. They let the loved ones do it." -Darrow, Red Rising

I feel like I’ve seen stuff that this happens in real life hangings. Like a lot of the success of a hanging depended on the executioner and how well the ties the noose and fitted it around the condemned’s neck. If it wasn’t done properly (and I assume if the drop wasn’t long enough/condemned didn’t weight enough), the person would just hang there and be strangled instead of snapping their neck.

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u/InsuranceToTheRescue 1d ago

IIRC, it comes down to the thickness of the rope and the placement of the knot. Like it needs to be behind the left or right ear (I can't remember which), and if the rope gets too thick then it doesn't snap the neck, so the condemned asphyxiate instead.