Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – A special master overseeing legal challenges to Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol has denied an emergency motion filed by attorneys for Christa Gail Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row.
Special Master W. Mark Ward rejected Pike’s request to reopen a hearing regarding concerns about the qualifications of a physician who could participate in her execution.
Pike’s legal team argued that the doctor involved in the execution of inmate Tony Carruthers should not be allowed to take part in any future execution involving Pike. Attorneys contended the physician’s involvement raised serious concerns about competency and the potential for problems during the execution process.
However, Ward ruled that the physician’s participation in Pike’s execution remains speculative because the Tennessee Department of Correction does not finalize execution team members until approximately 30 days before a scheduled execution.
In a statement following the ruling, Stephen Ferrel of Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee criticized the decision.
“We are deeply disappointed in the Special Master’s denial of our emergency motion to reopen Christa Pike’s hearing to address the qualifications of the TDOC physician who will participate in any execution of Ms. Pike,” Ferrel said.
Ferrel argued that the physician has publicly acknowledged involvement in previous executions, including those of Tony Carruthers and Darrell Hines, and questioned the state’s handling of information surrounding execution procedures.
Ward also rejected Pike’s claim that she would likely require a central line for the lethal injection procedure, stating he was not convinced the evidence supported that conclusion.
Pike’s attorneys maintain that concerns remain regarding who would carry out critical medical procedures during any future execution and whether those procedures could be performed competently.
“Christa should not have to wait until she is strapped to the execution gurney to know that the person performing this critical procedure is competent to do so and that her execution will not be torturous,” Ferrel said.
Pike was convicted in the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. Prosecutors said Pike tortured and killed Slemmer on the University of Tennessee Agricultural Campus after believing Slemmer was attempting to take her boyfriend.
Pike remains on death row as legal challenges to Tennessee’s execution protocol continue.
