A prisoner on death row was executed in Texas using the same lethal injection that proved to be ineffective against Christa Pike. Howard’s lawyers had made three last-minute appeals to halt his execution citing Pike’s case. But the court denied all the requests and he was given a fatal dose of pentobarbital at the state prison in Huntsville.
The execution of 46-year-old Jamaal Howard came a week after Pike cheated death, the BBC reported. Howard was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a store clerk during a robbery attempt in the year 2000.
Experts have called the episode medically unprecedented . Tennessee halted further executions while the incident is investigated.
Pentobarbital is a powerful drug that slows down the brain and nervous system. In normal medicine, drugs from this family can be used for things such as treating seizures or helping with sedation.
But she did not die. Pentobarbital is a powerful drug that slows down the brain and nervous system. In normal medicine, drugs from this family can be used for things such as treating seizures or helping with sedation.
Howard’s death was confirmed just after 8 pm (local time) in Texas on Wednesday. The 50-year-old was on death row in Tennessee for the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer, then 19. On September 30, 2026, Pike was taken to an execution chamber and given two doses of pentobarbital, the drug Tennessee uses for lethal injection.
Howard’s lawyers had argued that he faced similar risks as Pike if given the lethal injection, and alleged that Texas’ supply of the drug had become degraded, the BBC report further said.
In Pike’s case, the drug was injected twice, but it did not produce the expected result. Exactly why the execution failed is still being investigated. Because it is intended to make a person lose consciousness and eventually stop vital functions, in some US states, including Tennessee, a much larger dose is used in executions.
After more than an hour, the execution was stopped and Pike was taken to hospital. She was initially in critical condition and on a ventilator, but later unexpectedly regained consciousness and began speaking.
Witnesses said she remained breathing and at times appeared conscious, even complaining that her arm hurt.
