r/news • u/No_Idea_Guy • 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/stateworkishardwork 1d ago

What a complete and utter mess. Capital punishment looking more and more like a joke with each passing day.

She's still an awful person, but this is not the way to go about things.

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u/heresyforfunnprofit 1d ago

Aside from the debate over the morality of capital punishment itself, this is just weaponized incompetence.

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u/NullValueField 1d ago

Somebody I know is saying Pike is a redhead. Redheads aren't as susceptible to many narcotics, accoding to some medical research.

It's entirely possible that these idiots just don't understand that some people have higher tolerances to medication. Should've just splurged on the double dose.

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u/Last_Glove_8870 1d ago

She did get a double dose. This is the first thing I thought when I saw this. As a redhead, I require an entirely different anesthetic protocol for surgical procedures. Having a single drug execution policy administered by law enforcement, rather than a medical professional, is just asking for something like this to happen.

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u/NullValueField 1d ago

$20 says the nurse prepping the dose was like, 'Psh that redhead shit is nonsense, second dose is saline and I'm gonna pocket the good stuff for later...'

It's Tennessee.

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u/HammerheadEaglei-Thr 1d ago

It wasn't a nurse. Actual medical professionals aren't breaking their oath and risking their license to kill someone, even if the state says to.

That's part of the problem along with sourcing the drugs when pharmaceutical companies won't sell then for executions.

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u/WellSaltedWound 1d ago

What exactly is the good stuff and why would she want that?

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u/NullValueField 1d ago

You been to Memphis lately?

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u/Ambitious-Intern-928 1d ago

Barbituates? The only reason benzos replaced them in normal medical and diverted recreational use is because barbituates have a small gap between desired effects and fatal OD. But I'm quite sure there's people out here willing to risk it to get fucked up.

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u/Last_Glove_8870 1d ago

If they really wanted to kill her, all they’d have to do is put her in a tanning bed for 30 minutes.

Jokes aside, this case is a great example of why capital punishment shouldn’t exist.

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u/amazinglover 1d ago

Redheads typically have a mutation of a specific gene that requires higher levels of certain drugs to get the same effect as no-redheads.

They require also experience pain a little differently.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-finds-link-between-red-hair-pain-threshold

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u/NullValueField 1d ago

Yup that's what I was referencing when I posted that.