Amid growing controversy over a botched execution in the U.S. state of Tennessee, it has been revealed that prison authorities poked the death row inmate with needles about 10 times because they failed to locate suitable veins.

According to the Associated Press on the 22nd (local time), Randy Spivey, the defense attorney for death row inmate Christa Pike, stated that it took prison officials about an hour to establish intravenous (IV) lines in both of Pike's arms during the execution process on September 30.

According to the defense, prison authorities used approximately 10 needles across multiple sites on both of Pike's arms, causing her to grimace and complain of pain.

Prison officials themselves examined Pike's left arm, remarking that "the vein might have blown," expressing doubts about whether the IV line had been properly secured. In fact, a needle that had been inserted into another site and then pulled out was reportedly severely bent.

Authorities eventually concluded they had secured a vein in her left arm and proceeded with the execution. However, after the administration of the lethal drugs began, Pike complained of severe pain, saying, "My arm feels like it's going to burst" and "It's burning."

Pike did not die even after being administered two doses of pentobarbital, a lethal chemical. Ultimately, she was transferred to a hospital and regained consciousness about a week later.

Tennessee regulations stipulate that a second dose should be administered if the inmate does not die from the first, but the rules do not outline procedures for cases where the inmate survives even after the second dose.

Consequently, a local controversy has sparked over whether authorities should attempt to re-execute the surviving Pike.

Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, committed alongside her boyfriend when she was 18 years old.

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