Convicted murderer Christa Pike woke up in hospital “angry and confused” after surviving a failed lethal injection attempt in Tennessee last week, according to her lawyer.
Pike, 50, survived two rounds of lethal injection on September 30 after Tennessee execution officials failed to carry out her death sentence. Her lawyer, Randy Spivey, said at a news conference that Pike’s first words after regaining consciousness were, “Where am I?” and “Who are you?”
Her legal team said they initially believed Pike was brain dead and expected her to be taken off life support. However, she began speaking on Tuesday in what Spivey described as a development that shocked everyone involved. Pike reportedly remembers only limited details about the execution attempt. Spivey said she helped members of the execution team locate a vein in her arm before the drugs were administered.
She was later taken to hospital after the execution attempt failed to kill her. Her lawyers said she remained unconscious for several days while doctors worked to clear pentobarbital from her system. Pike continues to receive critical medical treatment and is being restrained by her hands and feet while in hospital, according to her legal team.
Spivey said both of her arms are severely swollen and that she has developed a blood clot in one arm and pneumonia. He added that she cannot currently swallow. “We don’t know the toll all of this will take” on her mental health, Spivey said, describing Pike as confused and angry about what she experienced.
Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, whom she killed with her then-boyfriend. She was convicted and sentenced to death after the killing. Her survival has attracted significant attention because her lawyers and experts say they are unaware of another case in which a US prisoner survived a lethal injection execution attempt.
The circumstances surrounding the failed execution, including the medical treatment Pike received and the execution process itself, are expected to come under further scrutiny as her legal team considers its next steps.
