Another reason to not have a death penalty

Christa Pike is awake and speaking, there's no further information really except that she is handcuffed and manacled whilst in intensive care. Why on earth would anyone handcuff and manacle someone who is in intensive care, let alone when someone is unconscious? I cannot understand the cruelty and inhumane treatment of this woman. She committed a dreadful murder and certainly deserves to be punished but like this? It's even possible that once she is well enough they will try to execute her again!

I just read that, Foxie, and a patient in intensive care being handcuffed and manacled after a botched execution is primitive.

It's truly disgusting. Trump has just approved a firing squad execution, the first in 60 years, for the man convicted of shooting 13 soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. The man was shot and left paralysed but was sentenced to death in 2013. It just beggars belief!

foxie48

Christa Pike is awake and speaking, there's no further information really except that she is handcuffed and manacled whilst in intensive care. Why on earth would anyone handcuff and manacle someone who is in intensive care, let alone when someone is unconscious? I cannot understand the cruelty and inhumane treatment of this woman. She committed a dreadful murder and certainly deserves to be punished but like this? It's even possible that once she is well enough they will try to execute her again!

I’ve read her “story”.

Nothing, literally nothing excuses the planned torture and murder of a fellow teen.

But Pike was failed by the system from the moment she was conceived by two alcoholic parents, born with fetal alcohol syndrome then brought up in the most cruel and awful manner.

I won’t go into details, it’s online for anyone who wishes to read it.

She’s clearly very mentally unstable and damaged.

She’s already served 30 years on death row.

Surely the humane thing now is to let her live out a life term in a secure mental health unit?

I know that won’t bring her poor victim back.

She had been worried about being executed with a lethal injection and had asked the court via her lawyers to consider a firing squad or hanging instead.

What Pike did does neither need reiterating or condemning - that should be taken as read, but was completely failed by the state at every single stage of her life from birth to death.

Surely this must put her beyond the law, and the state should now do what is right and give her the care and treatment she should have had as of right from birth.

There are children in this country, who have had a similar start to Pike, and who are extremely violent from a very young age, who will never recover from their terrible and indescribable experiences and make decent adults, and who will always be a real risk to society. Whose fault is it? Certainly not the children’s. I put Pike in the same category.

I would think the sentence will be commuted to life without parole as I can't see anyone supporting any further attempt to execute her.

I tend to agree with your Smileless.

I certainly hope there's not going to be another attempt at putting her to death although I gather this method will still be used on someone else. This awful outcome just reinforces my opposition to the death penalty. I know I find the crimes they've committed horrific but I equally find the state putting people to death utterly cold blooded and wrong somehow.

Smileless2012

I would think the sentence will be commuted to life without parole as I can't see anyone supporting any further attempt to execute her.

I agree with this.

Smileless2012

I would think the sentence will be commuted to life without parole as I can't see anyone supporting any further attempt to execute her.

I read on the BBC website, I think, that "no decision had yet been taken" regarding her sentence.

Without wanting to minimise the horror of her crime - the idea that she might be carefully nursed back to 'health' and then 're-executed' is frankly horrific. But, it wouldn't surprise me.

Pike's boyfriend, Shipp was more fortunate; though tried as an adult, he couldn't be sentenced as one and was given 'life' - with eligibility for parole... which is now, but he's been denied it. If Pike had been a year younger, she probably would not have been sentenced to death.

Though I hesitate to make what some might consider to be 'excuses' for a cold-blooded killing - I wonder if those who neglected, abused and raped the young Pike ever faced any consequences?

Not only was Pike subjected to appalling cruelty and neglect she was born with AFSD.

Its truly horrifying. Pike was abused all her life, did a dreadful thing. But the cruelty of her treatment by that State is sickening. No words can describe their system. It’s like a torture chamber, legalised with people viewing a spectacle. Sick.

Smileless2012

I would think the sentence will be commuted to life without parole as I can't see anyone supporting any further attempt to execute her.

I certainly hope so.
There was some mention of whether she could regain competence? enough for execution to take place again.
If I was the parent of the murdered teen, I don’t know how I’d feel though.

Allsorts

Its truly horrifying. Pike was abused all her life, did a dreadful thing. But the cruelty of her treatment by that State is sickening. No words can describe their system. It’s like a torture chamber, legalised with people viewing a spectacle. Sick.

What she and Shipp did was horrific but what the State is doing to Pike is horrific too.

It makes them all no better than criminals themselves.

Mollygo

Smileless2012

I would think the sentence will be commuted to life without parole as I can't see anyone supporting any further attempt to execute her.

I certainly hope so.
There was some mention of whether she could regain competence? enough for execution to take place again.
If I was the parent of the murdered teen, I don’t know how I’d feel though.

There was some mention of whether she could regain competence? enough for execution to take place again.

The ongoing debate will centre around the interpretation of the 8th Amendment, apparently.

She may yet be executed, but it won't be by IV or even IM, so God only knows what will be pulled out of the hat. The 'drug' could be given via a Central Line - but that requires expertise and, understandably, the experts in the medical profession won't get involved.

Allegedly, she was co-operative with the staff - even tried to help them find a 'suitable' vein at the beginning... which just adds more horror to the whole thing...

If I was the parent of the murdered teen, I don’t know how I’d feel though.

Me neither. None of this is giving them any peace of mind, I'm sure. Must be pretty horrible for the family.

She's been discharged from hospital in manacles and is now back in prison but still needing care. What despicable people to still put manacles on her, do they really think she's capable of running away?

Vintagewhine

She's been discharged from hospital in manacles and is now back in prison but still needing care. What despicable people to still put manacles on her, do they really think she's capable of running away?

She was manacled when she was in ICU!

The entire thing, including the utterly horrific murder she and two friends committed, the poor victims family, the failed execution and finally the perpetrators terrible life, is quite appalling and very tragic.

This dreadful failed attempt at state approved execution feels like a living awful reflection of America’s approach to life

Smileless2012

Christianity isn't terrifying Luckygirl and the apparently benign brand of Christianity practised by (your) many friends isn't a ^brand of Christianity it is Christianity.

Every religion has 'followers' capable of being terrifying and willing to commit acts of atrocity.

That’s so true!

Oreo

Smileless2012

Christianity isn't terrifying Luckygirl and the apparently benign brand of Christianity practised by (your) many friends isn't a ^brand of Christianity it is Christianity.

Every religion has 'followers' capable of being terrifying and willing to commit acts of atrocity.

That’s so true!

Christianity should not be terrifying.

Parts of the Old Testament could be (an eye for an eye etc) but that is not Christianity as demonstrated by Jesus in word and deed and described in the New Testament. The parables demonstrate that too.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another"

It is the misinterpretation of religion by some which is terrifying.

It’s easy to blame religion for the ills of the world. It’s people who are the problem. Religious fanatics are dangerous but that using any religion to justify all manner of oppressive, cruel behaviours
The mirror reflection between the American Christian’s like Hegseth and the Muslims who seem to be their current bogey men. It’s often said the American view of life doesn’t include irony
The idea that not only is America still executing some convicted criminals, it’s now suggesting public execution ramps up the concern many feel about what is happening there

The pushback has worked in this instance. He is still going in front of a firing squad, but only the families and people of interest will watch. Usually a media person and officials.

www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/trump-says-military-execution-ewill-141356582.html

Baby steps right now.

USA Military wanted death by firing squad it wasn’t a federal court. Different rules can apply.

Trump has made the right decision.

Why give this jihadist martyrdom by streaming it live? Hamas (and other terrorists) would have loved the propaganda. “See how our brave men die for our beliefs” etc.