Christa Pike's Lawyer Details Health Issues Following Botched Execution
Pike, who survived a lethal injection attempt, is reportedly suffering from a blood clot, pneumonia, and inability to swallow.
Christa Pike, 50, has developed a blood clot in her arm, is suffering from pneumonia, and cannot swallow, according to her lawyer, Randy Spivey. These health complications arose after a botched execution attempt on September 30, during which Pike became the first prisoner to survive a lethal injection in Tennessee.
Pike was scheduled to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over two centuries. Her first words upon waking in the hospital on Tuesday were reportedly, "Where am I and who are you?"
"Christa has a long road to recovery," Spivey stated. "She has a blood clot in one of her arms, she has pneumonia. She is not able to swallow yet, so she has not eaten."
Pike was convicted of the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, a fellow inmate at the Volunteer State Correctional Facility, for which she was sentenced to death. The botched execution has led to an independent review, and the state attorney general has not indicated whether Pike will face another execution attempt.