Christa Pike has woken up and is speaking one week after her failed execution. Now, her first words from the hospital bed have been revealed.
Christa Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the brutal torture and killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. At the time, Christa was only 18 years old and became the youngest woman on death row in modern U.S. history.
After nearly three decades on death row, awaiting her execution, she was set to die on September 30 by lethal injection. But the procedure did not go as planned.
Pike was given two doses of lethal injection but survived. She was rushed to the hospital, where she remained unconscious on a ventilator. On Tuesday, October 7, her legal team shared the first sign that her condition had improved. Their statement opened: “Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking.”
“Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery.”
First words from the hospital
Deborah Denno, a criminologist and professor at Fordham Law School, told the BBC that she was “absolutely astonished” Pike was conscious and speaking.
Pike “is the only person for whom some kind of toxin has been injected”, she said.
“They did everything they were supposed to do as part of the execution process, and it simply didn’t work,” Denno said. “This has never happened before.”
According to Dr. Joel Zivot, an anesthesiologist working with Pike’s team: “She has some memories of being in the hospital but no memory, I believe, of the execution attempt.”
Update on Christa Pike after execution attempt
Upon waking, Pike was reportedly able to identify herself but appeared confused about the date. She believed it was still September, meaning she did not realize how much time had passed while she was unconscious.
According to her lawyers, Pike has developed a blood clot in one arm and is suffering from pneumonia. She still cannot swallow and therefore has not been able to eat. She also cannot move either arm, both of which, along with her hands, are severely swollen. At this point, it remains unclear whether she will regain any function in her arms.
One of her representatives, attorney Randy Spivey, said: “I was not in the room when she woke up so I don’t want to speculate too much, but our understanding was that the first thing she said was ‘where am I and who are you?’
“There is still a lot of confusion, so I will say that.”
“She has asked about several people; she has asked about her team, she has asked about the victim’s family, she is angry and confused about everything right now.”
Christa Pike – what happens next?
Pike remains handcuffed and shackled to her bed. Her lawyers say no one knows yet what her recovery will look like, and she continues to receive critical care.
It also remains unclear whether the State of Tennessee will make another attempt to execute her, since she remains on death row and her sentence was not carried out.
For now, Pike remains in the hospital, recovering from an execution that was supposed to end her life – but instead left her fighting to recover.
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