The death penalty is thought of, rightly, as the ultimate form of punishment. Yet some condemned people have survived the execution process itself. These cases span centuries and many execution methods. They include hangings, firing squads, electric chairs, and lethal injections. Failures involving equipment, human error, unusual physical conditions, and other factors have led to these extraordinary cases.
Modern executions in the United States rely heavily on chemical procedures. But problems with finding usable IV lines or how the body absorbs the drugs have sometimes caused executions to fail. In several cases, the procedure was stopped before the person died (usually because the death directives timed out). But before lethal injection became the dominant execution method, other methods also produced documented survivors.
1. Christa Pike (Tennessee, 2026)
Christa Pike survived two full doses of pentobarbital during her scheduled execution. Nearly an hour into the procedure, prison staff saw that she still had an active heartbeat and was breathing on her own. The execution was then suspended. Pike was eventually taken to an outside medical facility for emergency care.
2. Romell Broom (Ohio, 2009)
Romell Broom survived a two-hour execution attempt after executioners struggled to find a usable vein. They stuck him more than 18 times, causing significant pain and tissue damage. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland then issued a temporary stay of execution.
Broom was returned to death row, and he remained there until December 2020, when he died from COVID-19 complications before a second execution could take place.
3. Doyle Lee Hamm (Alabama, 2018)
Executioners spent two and a half hours trying to place IV lines in Hamm's arms, feet, and groin. During the attempts, they accidentally punctured his bladder and femoral artery. The execution was called off before the lethal drugs were fully administered.
The State of Alabama later reached a confidential settlement with Hamm. Under the agreement, the state agreed never to attempt his execution again.
4. Alan Eugene Miller (Alabama, 2022)
Executioners spent more than 90 minutes trying to establish IV access for Alan Eugene Miller. They punctured Miller multiple times while he remained strapped to the gurney. The state eventually called off the execution shortly before midnight, as the death warrant was about to expire. The state later carried out Miller's sentence using nitrogen hypoxia in 2024 (an event which had its own complications).
5. Kenneth Eugene Smith (Alabama, 2022)
Kenneth Eugene Smith survived a lethal injection attempt in November 2022. Executioners spent hours trying to place IV lines in his arms and a central line. The procedure was eventually stopped when officials ran out of time before the death warrant expired. Similar to Alan Miller (also in Alabama), Smith was later executed using nitrogen gas in January 2024.
6. Alva Campbell (Ohio, 2017)
In November 2017, executioners spent nearly two hours searching for a suitable vein in Alva Campbell's arms and legs. Campbell had severe pre-existing medical conditions, including poor vascular health. Medical staff were unable to establish an IV line.
The governor granted Campbell a temporary reprieve. He died of natural causes in prison several months later while awaiting a new execution date.
7. Joseph Samuel (Hanging, 1803)
Joseph Samuel was convicted of robbery in Sydney, Australia in the early 1800s. He survived three documented attempts to hang him. During the first two attempts, the execution rope snapped under his weight even though it should have held much heavier weight without problem. On the third attempt, the replacement rope completely unraveled.
The Governor of New South Wales viewed the repeated failures as a sign of divine intervention. He commuted Samuel's death sentence to life imprisonment.
8. Willie Francis (Electric Chair, 1946)
Willie Francis was a 17-year-old in Louisiana when he survived a full application of high-voltage electricity from the state's portable electric chair, known as "Gruesome Gertie." The chair had been improperly set up by an intoxicated guard. Witnesses reported hearing Francis screaming while the current was running.
His legal team appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after the incident. They argued that executing him again would violate double jeopardy and protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The appeals were rejected, however. Francis was executed again in 1947 by the same method.
9. John "Babbacombe" Lee (Hanging, 1885)
John "Babbacombe" Lee was sentenced to death in England for murder. He was placed on the gallows, but the trapdoor failed to open three times. Oddly, the trapdoor worked correctly when Lee was removed from the platform.
Home Secretary Sir William Harcourt commuted Lee's sentence to life imprisonment. He said the public conscience would not tolerate another attempt. Lee was eventually released in 1907.
10. Wenceslao Moguel (Firing Squad, 1915)
Wenceslao Moguel was captured during the Mexican Revolution. He was sentenced to death without a trial. A firing squad shot him between 8 and 9 times. This included a point-blank coup de grâce shot to the head by the commanding officer.
Miraculously, Moguel survived his injuries. After the troops left, he managed to crawl away from the execution site. He ended up living until his natural death in 1976.
11. Margaret Dickson (Hanging, 1724)
Margaret Dickson was hanged in Edinburgh, Scotland, for concealing a pregnancy. She was declared dead and placed inside a wooden coffin for transport. During the journey to her hometown, people heard noises coming from inside the coffin. Upon opening the coffin, Dickson was still conscious and breathing!
Under Scottish law at the time, her sentence had technically been carried out. Her survival was viewed as an act of providence. She received a full pardon and lived for another 30 years. She later became known locally as "Half-Hangit Maggie."
12. Anne Greene (Hanging, 1650)
Anne Greene was convicted of infanticide in England. She was hanged for about 30 minutes. During that time, friends pulled on her body to make sure she was dead.
Greene was then taken to a medical lecture room for dissection. There, physicians noticed signs of respiration. Doctors successfully revived her. Local officials later granted her a pardon.
