Christa Pike, aged 50, was declared dead Thursday evening after a prolonged execution in Alabama. Pike had been convicted of the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, who was 19 years old at the time of her death. However, witnesses to the execution at the Alabama prison reported that Pike appeared to still be breathing and moving for over an hour after the lethal injection began. State officials have halted the execution and launched an investigation into the events. This incident raises further questions about the humaneness and reliability of lethal injection as a form of capital punishment in Alabama. The execution was originally scheduled for earlier in the day but was delayed due to legal challenges. Further details regarding the investigation are expected to be released by Alabama authorities.