Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after she survived Tennessee’s execution attempt, her attorneys say

By Avni Trivedi, CNN

(CNN) — Christa Pike, a Tennessee inmate, is conscious and speaking six days after her failed execution, according to a statement from her attorneys.

“Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care. 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,” her attorneys said in a statement.

Pike, who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, was to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in 200 years.

After surviving two ostensibly lethal doses of pentobarbital during her planned execution, she was transferred to a hospital where she was unconscious and placed on a ventilator, receiving lifesaving medical care.

Her attorneys said they are grateful to the first responders and medical team who “treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her.”

During the procedure, executioners struggled to place IV lines to administer the doses of pentobarbital, according to Pike’s attorneys. Randy Spivey, one of Pike’s lawyers, told reporters she was cooperating with the execution team, and even communicating where they should try to insert the IV lines.

Pike’s attorneys had previously warned the state of her history of difficulties with finding vein access. The execution team spent an hour trying to establish an IV line and used at least seven needles, according to Spivey.

“None of it was normal,” said Catherine Sweeney, a reporter for WPLN who was one of the media witnesses. “I covered all the executions last year, and most of the ones this year. We haven’t seen anything like it. It went really poorly.”

Pike’s lawyers said they believe problems with the IVs caused the pentobarbital to flow into her body rather than her bloodstream.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said it followed its lethal execution protocol which approves a one-drug method of pentobarbital, and which allows a backup injection if the inmate is still alive. There is no protocol for what happens if the second injection does not work.

After the failed execution, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted the state’s next schedule execution and ordered an independent review of Pike’s case, helmed by former US Attorney Ed Stanton.

Stanton was previously called in to review an execution in 2022, where he found Tennessee had not complied with its own lethal injection process.

Lee also announced Frank Strada, the commissioner of the Department of Correction, would be resigning later this month. In a statement, Strada said that resigning was “in the best interest of Tennesseans,” while the review is conducted.

This is the second time this year that Tennessee has not been able to execute a prisoner. Tony Carruthers was granted a one-year stay after his lethal injection was halted when executioners struggled to find a vein.

Pike’s attorneys are seeking a court order to ensure the preservation of evidence in her botched execution, including any relevant physical, written and electronic evidence. Her lawyers are expected to appear in court Wednesday.

They are also continuing to call on Tennessee’s governor to commute Pike’s sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

“Christa is a survivor and will take recovering one day at a time,” her attorneys said in the Tuesday statement.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Devon Sayers and Ryan Young contributed to this report.