Lawyers seek to block today’s execution of Texas man, citing Christa Pike’s botched lethal injection

October 7, 2026 / 11:11 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Lawyers for a Texas man who fatally shot a convenience store clerk are asking a judge to stay his execution by lethal injection set for Wednesday, citing the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee last week.

This would be the first execution scheduled in the U.S. since Pike.

Because the same drug used in her attempted execution — pentobarbital — would be used in Texas for Jamaal Howard, his attorneys argued the drug poses the same risks, and said they believe the state's supply had become degraded.

Pike's lawyers are seeking more information about what went wrong after the 50-year-old survived two doses of pentobarbital. She was hospitalized and, as of Tuesday, was awake and speaking.

In a statement Tuesday, her attorneys said she was "conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care," but noted "her prognosis remains unclear" and "at a minimum" they "expect a long recovery."

They also said "despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed."

One of her attorneys, Steve Ferrell, told "CBS Mornings" on Monday that doctors were working to clear her body of…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/