Tennessee Death Row Inmate Christa Pike’s Lawyer said on Saturday that Pike had left the hospital and returned to prison, where she would continue to receive medical care. Ten days ago, Pike experienced a rare failed execution by lethal injection, making her the first person in the United States to survive a lethal injection during an execution.
In a written statement, Pike’s lawyer stated that Pike had been discharged and returned to a Tennessee women’s prison where she had been incarcerated for 30 years.
The statement read: “She is grateful for the care provided by emergency personnel and the medical team in these special circumstances. She is continuing to receive medical care in prison, and we will continue to monitor her recovery.”
Pike, who is 50 years old, was sentenced to death for conspiring with others to murder a classmate in 1995. After years of legal battles, Tennessee executed her with a lethal injection on September 30 this year, which ultimately ended in failure.
During the execution, Pike was injected with two doses of pentobarbital, which were meant to be lethal, but Pike survived and has since been undergoing hospital treatment. She was in a coma for several days, relying on a ventilator to sustain her life and was believed to be brain dead. However, she regained consciousness on Tuesday.
In a health update released on Thursday, Pike’s lawyer stated that she is now able to walk with assistance and has started eating again. Pike’s arm was severely damaged due to the effects of the drugs, but she is also recovering her mobility.
The Death Penalty Information Center, a non-profit organization in the United States, stated that Pike is the first person to survive after receiving a lethal injection during an execution. The center’s executive director described this botched execution as “the worst we have seen” and different from any other failed execution in modern history.
Tennessee is currently conducting an investigation into the failed execution. Pike’s lawyer has called on Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to commute her sentence and change her death penalty to life imprisonment. However, Lee has not shown any willingness to change the sentence so far. On the contrary, the Republican governor stated in an interview on October 1 that Pike’s failed execution was a “tragedy,” but “my responsibility is to uphold the decisions made by Tennessee juries” and ensure that those decisions are carried out.