Reporter who witnessed 500 executions stunned by Tennessee botched lethal injection

Michael Graczyk, an Associated Press reporter who has covered nearly 500 executions in Texas over a career spanning more than four decades, expressed astonishment at a recent botched execution in Tennessee. Despite his extensive experience, which continued even after his official retirement from the news service in 2018, Graczyk stated that he had never encountered a situation where an inmate survived the lethal injection process.

The incident occurred this week involving 50-year-old Christa Pike, who remained breathing and audibly snoring after receiving two separate doses of pentobarbital. The barbiturate is the standard drug used in Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol. While Graczyk recalled two instances where needles dislodged and required reinsertion, he emphasized that a failure of the drugs to induce death was unprecedented in his coverage.

Tennessee law mandates a secondary set of syringes if the first dose fails, but the state’s execution protocol does not specify procedures for scenarios where the inmate remains alive after the second administration. Following the failed execution, Governor Bill Lee ordered a halt to all executions and an independent review of the state’s procedures.

Pike is currently receiving life-saving care at a hospital, according to her legal team. Her victim, Colleen Slemmer, was a 19-year-old Florida native who was tortured and killed by Pike and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, in 1992. Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, attended the execution attempt and described the events to NBC News as “a mess.”

Graczyk, 76, noted that while he was not entirely surprised by reports of the anomaly—having speculated about such possibilities during his long career—he found the specific outcome difficult to process. He highlighted the role of journalists in ensuring transparency in capital punishment cases.

“There is no greater authority, power, or whatever you want to call it, that state or federal government has over us than the power to take our life,” Graczyk told BBC News. He added that he views his presence as critical to ensuring the law is carried out properly and that the public is informed.

The Death Penalty Information Center reports that there have been 64 botched executions in the United States since 1982, with 51 involving lethal injections. Botched executions have drawn increased scrutiny in recent years due to drug shortages, which have led some states to alter their protocols or seek medications from less reliable sources. A few states have reinstated firing squads as an alternative method.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, there have been 1,683 executions nationwide. Texas leads with 602, becoming the first state to use lethal injection in 1982. Graczyk reflected on the emotional toll of his work, particularly regarding victims who he feels are often overlooked in favor of the inmate. He recalled the execution of Jonathan Nobles in 1998, who died shortly after beginning to sing “Silent Night,” a memory that continues to affect him during holiday church services.

When asked about his unique profession, Graczyk noted that most people are curious because they rarely have the opportunity to witness death. However, he insists that covering executions is only one aspect of his broader career as a journalist.