Attorneys warned Tennessee that Christa Pike’s rare cancer would make her execution go wrong. Her arm allegedly turned purple after 7 needle sticks

A new detail has emerged in the case of Christa Pike’s botched execution by lethal injection. Pike received two doses of lethal injection drugs and survived on September 30 in Tennessee. Now, it appears that Pike’s lawyers informed the court that she suffered from thrombocytosis, which is likely caused by a myeloproliferative disorder, according to TMZ.

Myeloproliferative disorders are now called myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), according to Cancer Support Community. Basically, this disorder is a type of blood cancer where the body produces either too many or too few red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

Pike’s legal team warned the court that this cancer could impact the lethal injections

Specifically, Pike’s legal team allegedly informed the court months before the execution that her condition increased the risk that she would experience severe pulmonary edema from the lethal injection, which would result in her experiencing a suffocating sensation.

That wasn’t the only information Pike’s legal team provided about her condition, as they also allegedly informed the court about Pike’s history of difficult blood draws. They recommended the use of special needles that would reduce her risk of experiencing complications.

The warnings were apparently ignored, and Pike’s execution resulted in her experiencing complications. She was taken to the hospital, where she woke up six days after the ordeal. Pike has since been taken back to prison.

Despite the complications, Pike’s death sentence seems likely to stand

On October 28, almost a month after the botched execution, Tennessee governor Bill Lee said he expects Pike’s death sentence to remain in place, according to TMZ. While Lee’s comment sounds like his own condemnation, what he told reporters was, “I suspect her sentence will be the same as before unless determined otherwise by the courts.”

Although Lee will seemingly let the courts decide Pike’s fate, he has stopped all executions for the remainder of the year so officials can continue investigating what went wrong with Pike’s executions before attempting another lethal injection.

Christa Pike was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer while both women were Job Corps workers. She was sentenced to death, making her the youngest person on death row at age 20 during the time of her incarceration, according to Tennessee’s Department of Correction.

Pike’s boyfriend at the time, Tadaryl Shipp, was her co-defendant and was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the murder of Slemmer. Because Shipp was 17 at the time of the murder, he wasn’t able to be given the death penalty. Instead, he received life in prison.

Years later, in 2001, Pike was convicted of first-degree attempted murder while she was incarcerated for the assault of Patricia Jones, who was also an inmate at that time.

As for what happens to Pike next, the courts will likely decide whether she will face another execution attempt.

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