Christa Pike Regains Consciousness After Failed Execution in Tennessee
By Emma Carter
Image information
This is a representative image for this Daily News lesson.
Intro
Christa Pike survived an attempted execution in Tennessee and later regained consciousness.
Vocabulary
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| regained verb | verb | Meaning: got back a condition or ability | Example: After resting, Maya regained her strength. |
| attempt noun | noun | Meaning: an effort to do something | Example: His first attempt to fix the bike failed. |
| lethal adjective | adjective | Meaning: able to cause death | Example: The snake has a lethal bite. |
| chamber noun | noun | Meaning: a special room used for a particular purpose | Example: The workers entered the testing chamber. |
| intended adjective | adjective | Meaning: planned or meant to happen | Example: The package reached its intended address. |
The story
Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, is conscious and speaking after surviving an attempted execution, according to her attorneys. State officials had tried to execute her with a lethal injection, but the attempt did not result in her death.
During the attempt, Pike received two doses of pentobarbital. Pentobarbital is a drug that can be used in lethal injections. After the drugs were given, Pike was removed from the execution chamber in an ambulance.
The attempt took place on September 30. Pike later regained consciousness. The update that she was able to speak came after the failed attempt, which had left her alive despite the two doses.
Pike is on death row, which means she has been sentenced to death. Lethal injection is an execution method in which drugs are given through a vein. In this case, Tennessee officials used pentobarbital as they tried to carry out the sentence.
Catherine Sweeney was in the witness room during the September 30 attempt. She was present while Tennessee officials tried to carry out the lethal injection.
The event was also not the first failed attempt to execute Pike. An attempt in May had failed as well. The September 30 attempt again ended without her death.
Pike’s condition after the attempt was the main development. She had regained consciousness and could speak after leaving the execution chamber. The case drew attention because the execution effort did not have its intended result.
Warm-up questions
- What do you think happens when an important plan fails?
- What information would you expect in a news report about an execution attempt?
Comprehension questions
- What happened after Pike received two doses of pentobarbital?
- When did the execution attempt take place?
- What does being on death row mean?
- Who was in the witness room during the attempt?
- Why did the case draw attention?
Opinion questions
- Why might people pay close attention to a failed government action?
- Should news reports explain difficult terms such as lethal injection? Why or why not?
Further discussion
- How might a failed execution attempt affect public trust in officials?
- What questions might reporters ask after a second failed attempt?
Writing prompt
- Write a short news summary explaining what happened to Christa Pike, when it happened, and why it mattered.
