'Satanic' killer Christa Pike survives TWO lethal injections in botched execution after court U-turn

You are about to be charged £0.00* *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! 'Satanic' killer Christa Pike survives TWO lethal injections in botched execution after court U-turn US courts U-turned twice and decided to put the killer to death last night - but she was 'still alive and snoring' after two shots The fearless champion of Britain, its voices and its values. Join the fight for free speech and fearless journalism. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Community Rules. Don't Miss Most Read Latest Convicted killer Christa Pike is still alive despite two lethal injections, her lawyers have said. In what is set to mark the first execution of a woman in Tennessee in more than 200 years, Pike was booked in to be put to death after US courts made a double U-turn on whether her killing would go ahead. But in a staggering twist, the killer survived two lethal injections, her lawyer said in the early hours of Thursday morning, UK time. Witnesses said "executioners had injected both syringes of lethal injection chemicals and Pike is still alive and snoring," court documents revealed. Lawyers said Pike "has not lost consciousness and still has a heartbeat," and that curtains to the death chamber "have gone down twice". Journalists who saw the attempted execution said they heard snoring and complaints from Pike about pain - and saw her kicking her feet so often that she knocked off the sheets that were laid over her. At times, the curtain was closed and reporters could only hear sounds from within, according to NBC. An ambulance was then seen arriving and leaving Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, where Pike was set to to be executed. According to WKRN, Pike was at one point heard saying: "My arm feels like it's about to burst open." She is then said to have talked about the spot on her arm and asked: "Does this happen like that?" In 1995, the 50-year-old tortured and murdered classmate Colleen Slemmer with her boyfriend in Knoxville, with the victim found with a Satanic symbol carved into her body. The following year, Pike was handed the death penalty - condemning her to become the first woman to be executed by the state of Tennessee in more than 200 years. Instead, she became the second person this year to have survived a botched execution in Tennessee. Tony Carruthers, convicted in three 1994 killings, was granted a one-year reprieve after executioners failed to find a vein for a backup IV. "Tonight the State of Tennessee once again failed to carry out a lawful execution," Pike's attorneys said. Christa Pike tortured and murdered classmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995 |REUTERS She had been due to be killed on Wednesday, but the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit approved a request for a stay of execution at the 11th hour. Execution witnesses had already arrived at the prison before the court order came through just one hour before the 50-year-old was scheduled to be killed via lethal injection. The ruling was made to allow judges time to consider whether claims she was sexually abused as a child were fully considered during her trial three decades ago. Tennessee's Attorney General Johnathan Skrmetti immediately launched an appeal to the US Supreme Court after her execution was put on ice. In the appeal, his office said the decision rewarded the “abusive delay tactics” of Pike's legal team and further traumatised the victim's family. But late on Wednesday evening, the Supreme Court reversed the lower-court order, clearing the way for Pike to be put to death. US NEWS - READ THE LATEST: Execution witnesses had already arrived the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville |STATE OF TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS The 50-year-old's execution was later rescheduled to Thursday, the Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed. It said in a statement it would "move forward with the execution today". The application to vacate the stay of execution was granted by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Justices did not provide an explanation for their decision to overturn the last-minute reprieve. According to court documents from her 1996 trial, Pike's "satanic" attack on her 19-year-old classmate lasted between 30 minutes and an hour, which saw Ms Slemmer beaten, kicked and stabbed multiple times. The female killer accused the victim of trying to get [her] boyfriend" and "running her mouth" prior to the murder, according to the case file. Just 24 hours before the attack, Pike told a friend she wanted to kill her classmate because she "just felt mean that day". The 50-year-old's rescheduled execution is now set to take place on Thursday |REUTERS After luring Ms Slemmer to woods close to the University of Tennesse campus, Pike knocked her to the ground and proceeded to kick her in the face. After the victim broke free, Pike's boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp held Ms Slemmer down to allow his girlfriend to slash her with a box cutter. Shipp - who was 17 years old at the time - then proceeded to carve pentagram symbols into the victim's chest and face. According to court records, Pike took a piece of the victim's skull to school the day after the killing to show it off as a trophy to other students. During the trial, Dr William Bernet said the brutal murder had "satanic elements" and showed signs of "the phenomenon of collective aggression". Dr Eric Engum told jurors that while Pike had been diagnosed with "very severe borderline personality disorder", she did not exhibit signs of brain damage or insanity. Due to being underage at the time, Shipp was not eligible for the death penalty, but was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter