Christa Pike is conscious and speaking nearly a week after a botched execution left her critically injured and temporarily on a ventilator, her attorneys said Tuesday.
“Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery,” her attorneys said in a statement.
Pike, 50, remains hospitalized after surviving two doses of pentobarbital during the failed September 30 lethal injection in Nashville. Her attorneys said she suffered “severe damage” to her arms and remains handcuffed to her hospital bed.
“We are incredibly grateful to the first responders and the medical team at the hospital who treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her,” they said. “We also want to thank thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for Christa.”
Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Her attorneys continue urging Gov. Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life without parole.
According to an emergency court filing, Pike could reportedly be heard crying, whimpering, and breathing heavily during the procedure. The filing says at least seven needles were used to establish IV access, with one allegedly removed after bending at a 90-degree angle.
Her attorneys also described her arms as swollen, burned, and blistered when she arrived at a Nashville-area hospital. A status conference regarding the preservation of evidence from the execution attempt is scheduled for Wednesday.
The Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed Pike remains hospitalized but said it could not provide further medical details because of federal privacy laws.
Following the failed execution, Gov. Lee ordered a temporary pause on scheduled executions, and Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada resigned. The governor has appointed former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton to lead an independent review of the execution attempt and determine whether the state’s protocol was properly followed.