Dr. Mark Fowler, who oversaw Christa Pike’s botched execution and a previous failed attempt to put another inmate to death, has spoken out about both controversial procedures of her career.
In a candid interview with Intelligencer, Fowler said of his work, “I’m not an evil, vicious person. I’m not unscrupulous. I’m not uncaring, and I’m not incompetent.”
Upon realizing that Christa was still alive during her execution attempt, Fowler admitted he was worried she was “going to be in a permanent vegetative state with a quarter-million dollars in medical expenses.”
This comes after TMZ had previously reported that Fowler had overseen the execution of Tony Carruthers back in May, which resulted in Fowler’s team being unable to establish a backup IV line and central line.
Fowler, who admitted he’s not “ashamed” of his job, said he’s the one who called off Carruthers’ execution because he had inadequate anesthetic but claims he’s gotten IV lines right “several times” before.
He told the outlet, “It’s like riding a bicycle, and, frankly, the motor skills and neurological skills required to ride a bicycle are far more complex than placing an IV line.”
Like Pike, Carruthers had complained of pain and moaned during the procedure, something Fowler dismissed as “a bit of theater.”
While agreeing that the death penalty overall is “probably” unfairly administered, Fowler said he hopes the state tries to execute Pike again for “a sense of justice” for her victim Colleen Slemmer’s family.
Meanwhile Pike said she has experienced constant pain since waking up in a hospital wondering why she was still alive.
This comes after she had complained of a pain in her arm and then lost consciousness on September 30, the date of her execution.
However, Christ Pike survived the execution and left the hospital on October 10 and was transferred back to death row.
But as of now, the Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has since halted executions for the rest of the year.
