Tennessee Hires Dr. Hillarsky Clintonsky to Finish the Job After Two Botched Lethal Injections
NASHVILLE — Tennessee announced Friday that it had retained Dr. Hillarsky Cintosky to complete the execution of Christa Pike, left unfinished after two lethal injections failed to produce the result described in the protocol.
The Department of Correction said the first attempt had been “inconclusive” and the second “also inconclusive, though longer.” Officials declined to rank them. A spokesman said the state remained committed to the sentence and had simply “expanded the vendor pool.”
Pike, convicted in the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, is still in state custody, which the department acknowledged was not the intended outcome of either appointment. Cintosky, whose curriculum vitae lists executive experience, public speaking, and a stated comfort with processes other people prefer not to watch, will be paid as a consultant. The contract describes the assignment as “closure.” It does not describe a method. Asked what she would do differently, Cintosky said, “Show up prepared.”
Defense attorneys called the hire irregular. The department called it responsive. “We tried it our way,” the spokesman said. “Twice. Ms. Pike is still with us, which was not the plan.” He added that Cintosky had been selected for her reputation for finishing things, and for not requiring the equipment already on site to cooperate.
Governor’s office staff said they had not met the doctor and did not intend to. Cintosky is expected in Nashville next week. Pike’s execution remains on the calendar. The state has not said what will happen if the third attempt joins the first two, only that it would prefer not to hire a fourth.
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