Key facts
- Christa Pike survived a botched execution attempt on September 30.
- Pike is reportedly angry and confused, with limited memory of the event.
- She is receiving critical medical care for swollen arms, blood clots, and pneumonia.
- A court ordered Tennessee to preserve all evidence from the failed execution.
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has paused all state executions for the year.
- The state's prisons chief is resigning after the incident.
Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, is reportedly "angry and confused" after surviving a botched execution attempt on September 30 in Tennessee. Her lawyers stated that she woke up in a hospital with limited memory of the event, suffering from medical complications including swollen arms, a blood clot, and pneumonia.
According to her legal team, Pike was kind and polite to the execution team before the lethal injection began. She was later found unconscious in her hospital bed, with her lawyers initially believing she was brain dead. However, she began to communicate on Tuesday, though recalling only limited details about the execution.
A court has ordered the state of Tennessee to preserve all evidence related to the failed execution, including IV lines, syringes, and waste materials, which could be used for a future lawsuit. Judge I'Ashea Myles also requested documentation on Pike's psychological condition before, during, and after the attempt.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has ordered a pause on all executions in the state for the remainder of the year and is seeking answers about the incident. The state's prisons chief has announced his resignation.
Pike was 18 when she and her then-17-year-old boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, murdered 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Shipp, who was a minor at the time, is serving a prison sentence.