Christa Pike Describes Pain and Confusion After Failed Execution in Tennessee

Death row inmate Christa Pike has described continuing pain and uncertainty after surviving an execution attempt in Tennessee on September 30, according to a statement released through her legal team.

Pike, sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, said she regained consciousness in hospital several days after the attempted lethal injection.

“Several days later I woke up alone in a hospital confused and in pain,” she said.

Her lawyers said she received two doses of pentobarbital, was placed on a ventilator and remained in hospital until October 10, when she was discharged and returned to prison.

Attorney Randy Spivey alleged in a court filing that the execution team repeatedly struggled to establish functioning intravenous lines, using about 10 needles and attempting several sites on both arms.

In her statement, Pike described difficulty speaking and continuing physical and emotional pain. She also acknowledged the suffering of Slemmer’s family and thanked hospital staff, first responders and her supporters.

Her attorneys have urged Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life imprisonment. Lee told reporters this week that he expected the sentence to remain unchanged unless the courts determined otherwise.