Kentucky can’t kill its way to life and justice

By: Richard Dawahare

Outlets: Kentucky Lantern

Published: October 12, 2026

Words: 968

Last Updated: 6 days, 4 hours ago

On the night of Sept. 30, Tennessee strapped Christa Pike to a gurney and tried to kill her. More than an hour and two doses of pentobarbital later, witnesses could still hear her breathing. She told the execution team her arm felt like it was about to burst. Four months earlier, Tennessee’s team spent more than an hour trying and failing to place an IV line in Tony Carruthers

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