Christa Pike is awake and speaking after failed execution, lawyers say

The Tennessee woman who survived an execution attempt last week is conscious, speaking and receiving medical care, in a development her attorneys described as “unprecedented.”

In a Tuesday statement, attorneys for Christa Pike said she remains handcuffed and shackled despite having sustained significant injuries to her arms after two injections of pentobarbital failed to kill her.

The statement described her prognosis as unclear.

“At a minimum, we expect a long recovery,” attorneys Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason said. “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.”

The statement said the attorneys will speak at a news conference Wednesday.

Prison officials administered the injections Wednesday in an attempt to execute Pike for the 1995 murder of her classmate Colleen Slemmer. Pike was 18 at the time of the killing.

After the injections failed to kill her, Pike was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator as staff members worked to clear the pentobarbital from her system, her attorneys have said.

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Pike, 50, would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in 200 years.

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Gov. Bill Lee ordered an independent review of the failed execution last week and paused all executions for the rest of the year. Pike’s attorneys have said they believe problems with the IV lines may have caused the pentobarbital to flow into her body instead of her bloodstream.

On Saturday, Lee announced the resignation of Frank Strada, the state’s top prison official.

In a statement, Strada said he believed the state Department of Correction had carried out its responsibilities “in accordance with the established protocol.” But stepping aside, he added, was in the “best interest of Tennesseans as the independent review moves forward.”