Arizona's history of botched executions resurfaces after Tennessee lethal injection fails

PHOENIX - A Tennessee death row inmate remains unconscious and on a ventilator after surviving the state’s failed attempt to execute her this week, while the case is drawing renewed attention to Arizona’s own history with lethal injection.

The backstory:

Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during Wednesday’s execution attempt, according to her attorney, Randy Spivey, who said she remains unconscious and on a ventilator.

"The State of Tennessee has shown us again that they are not capable of carrying out an execution consistent with basic human dignity," Spivey said.

The case also has an Arizona connection.

Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada previously served as deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, where he oversaw prison operations during a period when Arizona faced problems with lethal injections.

Local perspective:

In 2022, it took about 30 minutes to establish an IV during the execution of Clarence Dixon. Staff ultimately accessed a vein in Dixon’s groin.

A month later, during the execution of Frank Atwood, witnesses said medical personnel had difficulty locating a vein in his right arm. Atwood suggested they use his right hand instead.

The controversies prompted Gov. Katie Hobbs to pause lethal-injection executions in Arizona and appoint retired federal Judge David Duncan to review the state’s execution process.

Duncan said he was later fired from the position after concluding that lethal injection was not viable.

Dig deeper:

"Lethal injection is not a workable method of execution," Duncan said.

Duncan said he also told Hobbs that if Arizona continued using the death penalty, the state should consider other methods.

"I told the governor that if you chose to have a death penalty, you would want to choose the one that had the lowest botch rate and the one with the lowest botch rate is the firing squad. It works every time," Duncan said.

Duncan said his concerns went beyond the difficulties of establishing IV access, citing the availability of medical personnel and execution drugs.

"In light of what I had learned about the problems with the medical personnel unavailability and the unavailability of the drugs, I concluded that there was no viable way for lethal injection to be used in a way that would assure you that it would work every time," Duncan said.

Arizona resumed executions in 2025 following the pause.

In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee has stopped executions through the end of the year while the state conducts a comprehensive investigation into what went wrong during Pike’s execution attempt.