Christa Pike has 'profound' health turnaround after botched execution, lawyers say
Pike's lawyers say her recovery is "remarkable" as they give an update on her condition after she survived an execution attempt by lethal injection.
Christa Pike has made a “profound” recovery after last week’s botched attempt to execute her in Tennessee, according to her lawyers.
Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for murdering Colleen Slemmer with her then-boyfriend in 1995. On 30 September, she survived two injections of the drug pentobarbital and was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
In a statement on Thursday, Pike’s lawyers said her recovery has been “remarkable” and that she can walk with assistance and is eating. They also said she has regained some movement in her arms, which were severely injured during the attempted execution.
“Physicians are encouraged by her physical recovery,” the statement said.
The case is now in uncharted territory, as Pike is believed to be the only person to have survived an execution attempt by lethal injection.
“Christa is dealing with the profound psychological trauma of having survived a failed execution, including the terror, pain and uncertainty of believing she was about to die,” her legal team said.
Pike’s lawyers said they do not know the full emotional and psychological impact of the execution attempt, or how long her recovery will take.
They added that while she is struggling to process what happened, she “continues to express concern for others, particularly the family of her victim Colleen Slemmer”.
Slemmer’s mother, who was among those calling for Pike to be executed, has described the failed execution as a “mess”.
Pike’s boyfriend at the time of Slemmer’s murder, Tadaryl Shipp, avoided the death penalty because he was not legally an adult when the crime was committed. He remains in prison.
Pike was 18 and Shipp was 17 when they beat, tortured and killed 19-year-old Slemmer, whom they had met at a job training camp for low-income young people.
A court has ordered officials to preserve all evidence connected to the failed execution, which could form the basis of a future lawsuit against the state.
On Wednesday, Judge I’Ashea Myles ordered that “anything that was in the actual room needs to be preserved and maintained,” including IV lines and syringes, along with waste such as packaging, inserts and labels.
The judge also required documentation on Pike’s psychological condition before, during and after the failed execution.
She warned the state to take “special care” not to misplace or accidentally delete any information that may be relevant to the case.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered a pause on all executions for the rest of the year and said he wants answers about what went wrong.
Pike’s lawyers have urged the governor to reduce Pike’s punishment to life in prison without parole.
Supporters of capital punishment have proposed using a different method to execute her.