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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Christa Pike “Mad as H*ll” Walking, Talking, Angry After Botched Execution, to Face “Old Sparky?”

Oct 14, 2026 · 42m

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Christa Pike has returned to prison after her discharged from the hospital. She survived a botched lethal injection attempt of two doses of pentobarbital during her scheduled execution at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. According to reports, the drug likely spread under her skin due to a faulty IV line rather than entering her bloodstream. After spending days unconscious and on a ventilator, Pike woke up, regained speech, and began walking with assistance Dispatchers initially delayed sending an ambulance for roughly 30 minutes because they suspected the emergency call from the maximum-security prison was a "prank call". Audio logs detailed emergency responders waiting outside…