Pike reports constant pain one month after lethal injection failure
The Tennessee inmate blames administrative incompetence for surviving her Sept. 30 execution and says she is still recovering in a prison infirmary.
By Alejandro Ruiz ·
Christa Pike reported on Friday that she continues to experience constant physical and mental pain one month after surviving a failed lethal injection in Tennessee. The 50-year-old inmate dictated her first public statement to her legal team from the infirmary at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she is currently housed.
Pike said she wakes up alone and confused in a hospital bed and struggles to speak. She described her body as hurting, specifically noting pain in her arms, hands, and throat. She added that the suffering extends beyond the physical, affecting her mind and soul. Pike stated that she had not planned for a life beyond her execution date and was prepared to die in peace.
The inmate attributed the failure to administrative incompetence. She expressed deep hurt over the situation, which she said placed many people in a terrible position. Pike noted that she continues to think about the family of Colleen Slemmer, the 19-year-old classmate she killed in 1995. Pike was 18 at the time of the stabbing and became one of the youngest women sentenced to death in the state.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has called for an investigation into the events of Sept. 30. He also postponed the state's other scheduled lethal injection for the year. Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during the procedure. Her attorneys have urged the governor to reduce her sentence to life imprisonment.
Lee told reporters this week that he suspects Pike's sentence will remain the same unless the courts determine otherwise. The governor did not commit to a specific timeline for the investigation or the sentence change.
Pike expressed gratitude to the medical workers who saved her life and the individuals who showed her kindness during her recovery. She said she is trying to heal one day at a time and is holding on to the support from people who have reminded her she is not alone. The statement was issued from the prison infirmary after she was moved there following her hospitalization.
Source: WCAU
