Key facts
- Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after a failed execution attempt, her lawyers stated Tuesday.
- Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer.
- She survived two lethal injections of pentobarbital last week.
- Pike is receiving medical care in a Nashville hospital.
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has halted all executions in the state for the year and ordered a review.
Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, is reportedly conscious and speaking after a failed execution attempt last week, according to her lawyers. Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer. She was administered two doses of pentobarbital, but survived the lethal injection and was transferred to a Nashville hospital for medical treatment.
Her attorneys stated on Tuesday that Pike is "conscious and speaking" and continues to receive critical medical care. Previously, her lawyers had reported she was unconscious and on a ventilator, receiving lifesaving care for the effects of the pentobarbital, including injuries to her arms. They also alleged that IV lines were not correctly placed during the procedure, leading to the drug entering her body improperly.
Pike's legal team has filed an emergency motion requesting that all evidence related to the failed execution be preserved and has asked for an expedited hearing. The state Department of Correction has defended its protocol, stating it was followed correctly.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced a "thorough and comprehensive" review of the case by a third party and has halted all executions in the state for the remainder of the year. The governor also paused the execution of another death row inmate, Gary Sutton. The family of Colleen Slemmer has expressed devastation and exhaustion, and frustration with the state's lack of communication.