The Fundamental Inhumanity of the Death Penalty
Dear Friends of TDS,
Yesterday, the State of Tennessee tried and failed to execute Christa Pike, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who has spent over three decades on death row. After the state administered two doses of phenobarbital, Christa stayed alive and was ultimately rushed to the hospital.
Christa was just 18 years old when she was convicted of the murder that sent her to death row. She committed the crime with her abusive boyfriend, and at the time was suffering from undiagnosed mental illness, including Bipolar Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from childhood rape. Christa’s abusive boyfriend received a life sentence because he wasn’t 18.
Let last night’s sickening torture be a wake up call to us all. The death penalty is inherently inhumane. No government should have the power to subject a human being to what Christa endured last night. The death penalty has no place in our society and must end.
We stand beside the Tennessee Office of the Post-Conviction Defender, the Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee, and Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty as they continue to fight for Christa. We urge you to visit TADP’s website to find out how you can take action or hear Christa’s story in her own words.
In solidarity,
Burke Butler and Randi Chavez
Co-Executive Directors
Texas Defender Service
