ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Tennessee's attempt to execute its first female death row inmate in more than two centuries was halted Wednesday following a botched lethal injection procedure that left the condemned woman hospitalized in critical condition.

Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer, survived the execution attempt in Nashville. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called the incident  deeply disturbing  and placed a temporary hold on executions pending a comprehensive state investigation.

 The governor of Tennessee did put a halt for the time being to do a full-blown investigation,  said Cameryn Massey, a Georgia-based criminal defense attorney who has been tracking the case.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Christa Pike is in critical condition after Tennessee's failed execution attempt, her lawyers say

Massey noted that any future effort to execute Pike could spark major constitutional challenges.

 I would raise the argument of double jeopardy, that she already went through this execution, so it would be inhumane and a violation of her double jeopardy rights,  Massey said, adding that a second attempt would likely trigger Eighth Amendment claims against cruel and unusual punishment.

The halted execution in Nashville drew immediate comparisons to a high-profile incident in Georgia. In 2015, the state temporarily delayed the execution of Kelly Gissendaner after officials discovered the lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, appeared cloudy. Gissendaner was executed later that year on the same calendar date as Pike's scheduled execution.

 The botched execution of Christa Pike immediately made me think about Kelly,  said Georgia state Sen. Kim Jackson, who served as clergy during Gissendaner's execution.  It also happened on the anniversary of Kelly's death... This botched execution shows us just how imperfect the system is, and that we shouldn't be doing something so permanent to someone when we can mess up. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lethal drug that failed to execute Christa Pike was already under scrutiny

While both Tennessee and Geo

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