Tennessee execution team members reportedly struggled for nearly an hour to establish intravenous lines before attempting to execute Christa Pike on September 30, raising serious questions about the procedure that ended with her surviving two doses of the lethal drug pentobarbital.

According to the Associated Press, attorney Randy Spivey detailed the problems in a court declaration filed October 22. The team reportedly used approximately 10 needles while attempting to establish functioning IV lines in both arms.

The right-arm line was established within six minutes, but securing another in her left arm proved considerably more difficult.

Spivey wrote that Pike was “wincing and grimacing” as staff moved needles inside her left arm.…