Understand
Christa Pike 'angry and confused' after surviving botched execution, lawyers say
Overview
Lawyers for Christa Pike, a Tennessee death row inmate, state that she woke up in hospital angry and confused after surviving two lethal injections on 30 September. Experts and her legal team believe her survival is unprecedented in the US. A judge has ordered the state to preserve all evidence related to the failed execution, while Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has paused all executions for the rest of the year.
Key points
- Christa Pike survived two lethal injections on 30 September in Tennessee, which legal teams and experts say is unprecedented for a US inmate.
- Her lawyers stated that she woke up in hospital on Tuesday, asking 'Where am I?' and 'Who are you?', and is currently restrained to her bed.
- Pike is receiving medical care for a blood clot in her arm, pneumonia, and an inability to swallow, alongside tremendously swollen arms.
- A Tennessee judge ordered the state to preserve all evidence from the execution room, including IV lines, syringes, packaging, and documentation of her psychological condition.
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has paused all state executions for the remainder of the year and requested answers about the failure.
- Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer when she was 18 years old.