I’ve Covered Death Row Cases for Nearly a Decade. What Happened to Christa Pike Wasn’t an Anomaly. by Keri Blakinger October 6, 2026, 2:55 pm

I’ve Covered Death Row Cases for Nearly a Decade. What Happened to Christa Pike Wasn’t an Anomaly. by Keri Blakinger October 6, 2026, 2:55 pm https://www.propublica.org/article/christa-pike-tennessee-execution-lethal-injection-failure?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=feature Reporting Highlights Agonizing Procedures: Many aging death row prisoners have medical problems that can complicate efforts to kill them, including cancer, blood disorders and heart problems. Competency Questions: Several states have faced questions about the competence of their execution teams as major medical organizations have opposed participating in the procedures. Shielded by Secrecy: State laws generally hide the names of execution teams and information about the drugs, making it difficult to ensure the procedures are effective and humane.