Christa Pike’s lawyers shared the latest update on her health after the botched execution attempts in Tennessee. Pike has been on death row since she was convicted in 1995 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer.
Her execution was initially halted an hour before it was slated to take place, before the lower court’s order was overturned by the Supreme Court. Pike then survived the execution attempt, becoming the first known person to remain alive after a lethal injection.
She was taken to the hospital, and since then, her lawyers have been trying to get the execution scrapped. They have continued to argue about Pike’s past trauma as a child, which included sexual assault. Now, with the botched execution, her lawyers feel that Pike has gone through enough.
However, it remains to be seen if Pike is taken off death row. For now, all eyes are on her health and recovery as both the state and her lawyers mull next steps.
Christa Pike health update: All you need to know
Pike’s lawyers Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason, and Stephen Ferrell and Luke Ihnen released a statement about her health. It was shared by Fox News reporter Michael Ruiz.
“The turnaround in Christa Pike’s health in the last three days has been profound and a credit to the medical team caring for her. She woke up from unconsciousness Tuesday morning (Oct. 6) and began taking limited steps Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 7). Today, she is walking with some assistance, and her arms-which sustained significant injuries during the execution attempt-are healing and regaining movement and strength,” they noted.
Pike’s lawyers shared that her lungs are now clear, after reports of pneumonia. Pike has reportedly started to eat a regular diet as well and physicians appear to be encouraged by her physical recovery.
However, they also raised some points of concern, despite the ‘remarkable’ physical recovery. Her lawyers said “significant questions remain about the long-term effects of what she endured. Christa is dealing with the profound psychological trauma of having survived a failed execution, including the terror, pain and uncertainty of believing she was about to die. We cannot yet know the full emotional and psychological toll of that experience or how long it will take her to begin to heal.”
They noted that amid Pike’s struggles to process what happened to her, she continued to express concern for others, especially the family of her victim Colleen Slemmer.
Christa Pike’s lawyers flag ongoing concerns
“Christa also continues to experience cognitive challenges with concentration and memory. Her physicians have cautioned that it may take months to fully understand whether she sustained lasting cognitive injuries. Christa committed her crime at just 18 years old after a childhood marked by rape, sexual violence, physical abuse and neglect. Later into her incarceration, Christa was finally properly diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder and PTSD caused by her upbringing. Christa has endured more than enough. We continue to call on Gov. Lee to commute her death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She should never be subjected to another execution attempt,” the statement further said.