May Martinez, the mother of Colleen Slemmer, has broken her silence after Christa Pike’s lawyers revealed that the convicted murderer has woken up in hospital and is “speaking”.
Martinez traveled from Florida to Nashville last week to witness the execution of Pike, who was convicted in 1996 of murdering her daughter, 19-year-old Slemmer, in Knoxville in 1995.
Pike and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, were found to have beaten and killed Slemmer after Pike accused her of trying to steal her boyfriend.
Yet Pike’s execution on September 30 did not go to plan. She was given two doses of pentobarbital at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, the drug meant to end her life, but somehow survived.
Speaking to NBC News in a phone interview the morning after, Martinez said the execution did not go as expected. “They went to try to execute her, and she didn’t die,” she said.
Pike was subsequently rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where she lay unconscious for days, kept breathing by a ventilator.
On Tuesday, October 6, her legal team shared the first sign that her condition had improved. Their statement opened with the words: “Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking.”
According to her attorneys, Pike’s arms were badly damaged during the failed execution. Even so, she remains handcuffed and shackled to her bed. Her lawyers say no one knows yet how well she will recover, and she continues to receive critical care.
As for Martinez, she said in an interview with NBC affiliate WBIR that she had a feeling Pike was survive her execution, and that she does not believe Tennessee will attempt a second execution of her daughter’s killer.
When asked by WBIR whether she wants Pike to receive a lethal injection for the second time, she said: “It doesn’t matter what I think.”
She added: “They’re going to do what they’re going to do.”
Yesterday, Pike’s legal team said in a statement: “Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed.
“Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery,” they added.
“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. We also want to thank thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for Christa.”
Pike was sentenced to death in 1996, becoming the youngest woman on death row in modern U.S. history.
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