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Keri Blakinger

@keribla.bsky.social
47K followers 1.3K following 2.7K posts

Reporter: ProPublica. Author: Corrections in Ink. Priors: LA Times, Houston Chron, Marshall Project. Journalist, felon. (I promise I don't bite)

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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 4h
Christa Pike was release from the hospital and back to prison, according to her lawyers
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
This case is so bonkers - this is the officers' union suit against the BOP for abruptly terminating their contract last year. Case is headed for a contempt hearing and the government's handling of it all is... well, it's detailed here, you can read: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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Reposted by Keri Blakinger
Liliana Segura @lilianasegura.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
On the day TN was torturing Christa Pike I was in Oklahoma for what should have been a major step in finally resolving the saga of Richard Glossip. It happened to be Sept 30--exactly 11 years after OK nearly killed Glossip only to realize it had the wrong drugs. My report w/@jordansmith.bsky.social
theintercept.com
The Key Witness Against Richard Glossip Just Returned to Court. It Didn’t Go Well.
Decades after blaming Richard Glossip for his own actions, Justin Sneed is less credible than ever — and prosecutors know it.
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Reposted by Keri Blakinger
Liliana Segura @lilianasegura.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I'm still catching up on the aftermath of Christa Pike's execution ordeal but I really appreciated this piece by @keribla.bsky.social, which provides key context and analysis on botched executions, with myriad examples from recent and not-so-recent years. (Do people remember Angel Diaz? I do...)
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
According the latest from her lawyers, Christa Pike is now walking, taking “limited steps”
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This is WILD. The BOP has apparently RE-terminated the union contract
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I mean the NYT story seems to imply many would, but under half. I have definitely encountered plenty of death row inmates with no prior felonies (like esp the really young ones who came in at 18/19/20) but I never counted.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Oh neato
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Here's the full story www.nytimes.com/2026/10/07/u...
nytimes.com
Newsom Mulls Sparing Lives of All 563 Prisoners on Death Row in California
Gov. Gavin Newsom ramped up talks after a botched execution in Tennessee.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Newsom is reportedly considering mass commutations for California death row, but turns out he can't really do that much without help from the courts:
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Oh right. The liquid pool. As opposed to the solid pool. Naturally.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Statement from the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty on the execution:
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Last words of Jamaal Howard, who was executed tonight in Texas:
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Reposted by Keri Blakinger
synstistute.bsky.social @synstistute.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Austin Sarat (Amherst College) analyzed 8,776 executions in the United States between 1890 and 2010 - a total of 276 procedures went wrong (3.5%). Problems vary by method though - see attached (deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/b...)
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
In a hearing this morning, the state said it couldn't answer questions about whether it would try to execute her again:
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Sometimes I really enjoy listening to all the ways that judges can politely ask the state "r u rly serious tho"
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
👀 A federal judge has ordered an in-person hearing as to whether the Federal Bureau of Prisons should be held in contempt for failing to restore the union's contract after a court ordered it to:
Docket entry setting hearing for Oct 13
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Reposted by Keri Blakinger
Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"Pike did not fall into sedation quickly. Instead, witnesses said, she sang with her spiritual adviser. Then she said her arm felt like it was about to burst open. 'Does this happen like that?' she asked." by @keribla.bsky.social www.propublica.org/article/chri...
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
There's an execution scheduled for today in Texas - using the same method, same drug that Tennessee used last week when they tried to kill Christa Pike. Background here: www.propublica.org/article/chri...
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
So, generally pharm companies all refuse to sell drugs to states for execution so most states we know of have generally turned to compounded drugs (including for pento) tho occasionally they hsve mysteriously gotten manufactured ones anyway. TN won’t say where they got these
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Here's the rest of that filing (sans exhibits) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
Memorandum in Support – #75, Att. #1 in National Council of Prison Locals, American Federation of Government Employees v. Federal Bureau of Prisons (D. Conn., 3:25-cv-01907) – CourtListener.com
Memorandum in Support
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The federal prison union is asking a judge to hold the BOP in contempt bc they say the agency ignored the court order to reinstate the union contract - and some of the things they're alleging in this motion are WILD
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I’m still reporting on this topic. If you know more or are involved in preparing or carrying out lethal injections, you can reach me at keri.blakinger@propublica.org or securely on Signal at KeriB.123
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Prisoners across the country have repeatedly sued over this kind of secrecy. “Without public accountability or transparency,” said one lawyer, “we should expect to see more people strapped to gurneys and tortured for hours at a time.” www.propublica.org/article/chri...
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
States withhold everything from testing results to purchase dates, making it hard to say whether degraded drugs played a role if an execution goes awry. That’s what Jamaal Howard’s lawyers fear could happen Weds. in Texas - and why they’re asking the governor for a reprieve.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
When concerns about execution teams come to light it’s largely by accident. State secrecy laws often shield the names of execution team members, so it’s almost impossible to know whether they have a troubled history. The laws conceal info about the drugs used & their effects.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
It’s not clear whether he participated in last week’s execution attempt, though previously he told local media he would. When I asked him, he declined to comment.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
In a deposition, Fowler admitted he hadn’t placed such a line in ~12 years. His hands were shaking, said a witness. (In a text, Fowler denied this - see next post.) By the time he gave up, his lawyer said Tony was moaning, with blood oozing from his wounds.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
If a person’s health isn’t a problem, sometimes the executioners are. In May, TN botched the execution of Tony Carruthers. After executioners repeatedly failed to find a vein, a physician named Dr. Fowler attempted to place a deep IV line near Tony’s heart.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Attorneys worry similar problems could surface next week, when Florida plans to execute William Lee Thompson, 74. In addition to an array of health problems, his lawyer told me he’s malnourished & dehydrated, which could make it even harder for executioners to locate a vein.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Some of the most notorious failed executions have involved prisoners whose bodies were failing them. Take Doyle Hamm, a terminally ill cancer patient. In 2018, prison officials spent >2 hours looking for a vein, possibly puncturing his bladder before giving up.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Her legal team warned of this, due in part to her blood disorder. Like Christa, many older prisoners have medical issues that, compounded by age, can turn a theoretically quick death agonizing. One study found the odds of a botched lethal injection grows by ~6% w/ each year.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Her lawyers point to the way the drug was administered, arguing it was “abundantly clear” that her execution team didn’t realize the IV lines were out of place or that her veins were so damaged that the drug leached into her arm tissue.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I’ve seen 5 executions with the drug. Four prisoners said it burned. Two said they could taste it. One said he could “hear it going through the vein.” But all of them died. Why not Christa? TN officials haven’t offered an explanation.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The Biden admin stopped using pentobarbital for executions, saying it could cause “unnecessary pain and suffering.” This year the Trump admin reversed course.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
For lethal injections, Tennessee — along with SC, MO, GA and TX — relies on pentobarbital, a caustic barbiturate also used to treat seizures, sedate humans before surgery and euthanize animals. It has drawn repeated scrutiny for use on death row.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Here are the basics of what happened: -Executioners struggled to find a vein -The first dose didn’t work, so they gave her a rare second dose -Her arms blistered, one turned purple -She didn’t die, but was unconscious for days On Tuesday, her lawyers said she woke up.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Christa is the first person in the U.S. to survive a lethal injection. The outcome is unprecedented but what went wrong isn’t — and shows how easily another botched execution could occur. www.propublica.org/article/chri...
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I’ve covered death row cases for nearly a decade and witnessed several executions. What happened to Christa Pike wasn’t an anomaly. It could happen anywhere. With another execution planned for this week in Texas, let me explain why. THREAD 🧵
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
ty 🖤
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Background here - and more on why this could happen anywhere: www.propublica.org/article/chri...
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
BREAKING: Christa Pike is now awake and talking, per her attorneys:
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Reposted by Keri Blakinger
Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Important piece by @keribla.bsky.social: I’ve Covered Death Row Cases for Nearly a Decade. What Happened to Christa Pike Wasn’t an Anomaly.
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Reposted by Keri Blakinger
ProPublica @propublica.org · 06/10/2026
NEW: The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida. by @keribla.bsky.social
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
There’s an execution scheduled for tomorrow in Texas, and lawyers are worried it could be a repeat of what happened to Christa Pike in Tennessee last week. Here's why what happened to her wasn't really an anomaly: www.propublica.org/article/chri...
propublica.org
Why Tennessee’s Botched Death Row Execution Could Happen Anywhere
The complications behind Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched execution could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
If I had been the head of the Texas prison I think I would, after retiring, simply not choose to get involved in overseeing TJJD as a pastime. 0/10 do not recommend for ways to spent retirement gov.texas.gov/news/post/go...
gov.texas.gov
Governor Greg Abbott Appoints Collier To Texas Juvenile Justice Board
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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Judge Gary Brown, a Trump appointee in New York, rebukes ICE for arresting two people erroneously — including a U.S. citizen — and later claiming "mistaken identity." "ICE agents falsified official records," he says. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
No really I’m fun i promise
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
amazing
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Keri Blakinger @keribla.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
here's the whole post btw www.ms.now/opinion/ange...
ms.now
Opinion | Angela Paxton’s argument to vote for her husband has to be heard to be believed
The wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urges women to vote for him despite their many reservations.
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