Tennessee officials are desperately trying to keep their lethal injection drug supplier a secret, warning in court documents that all executions could grind to a halt if the vendor is exposed following the highly publicized, botched execution of Christa Pike. Pike, convicted of the brutal murder of her classmate Colleen Slemmer, was set to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in over two centuries, but survived after two doses of pentobarbital failed to kill her. Now, a Tennessee Department of Correction employee has revealed in a court filing that drug providers are increasingly fearful of retaliation, including threats, harassment, and boycotts, and have explicitly stated they will cease supplying the state if their identity is revealed. This warning comes in response to a court order demanding the preservation of all evidence from Pike’s execution, including drug vials. The state argues that allowing Pike’s lawyers to view the drug labels could irrevocably expose their supplier, leading to the loss of pentobarbital access and, consequently, the suspension of all future executions in Tennessee, as finding a new supplier is deemed highly improbable.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
