The lawyers for a Tennessee woman who survived an execution attempt said on Friday she is unconscious and intubated following the failed procedure this week.
Christa Pike, 50, was scheduled for execution on Wednesday, but is still alive after two attempts to end her life by lethal injection. Both attempts failed, and Pike’s lawyer said in a court filing that she is in critical condition at a Nashville hospital.
According to Pike’s attorneys, both of her arms were swollen and blistered when she arrived at the hospital. Pike is “intubated, on a ventilator, and unconscious,” her lawyers said.
In a Davidson County court filing, Pike’s attorneys requested the evidence showing the “incompetent and reckless actions” during the execution be preserved. Additionally, the filing reviewed what Pike’s attorneys claim was a “botched” execution attempt.
“Two days ago, the State of Tennessee attempted to execute Ms. Pike,” the filing said. “Many facts from that botched execution have been publicly reported: the TDOC IV team attempted to gain IV access by using at least seven needles; at one point, Ms. Pike herself offered guidance on where the IV team could attempt access; one needle was bent at a 90-degree angle when it was removed.”
Pike was reportedly administered two syringes containing lethal doses of pentobarbital and could be heard “crying and whimpering” before saying her arm felt like it was “about to burst open.”
Randy Spivey, one of the attorneys for Pike, emphasized during the press conference on Thursday that Pike’s attorneys had made the point throughout the lawsuit that Pike’s underlying medical conditions, including a blood-clotting condition, put her at risk for an unusually drawn-out, cruel execution by lethal injection.
Spivey called on Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) to commute Christa’s death sentence immediately. Lee ordered an independent review of the failed execution and canceled the rest of the state’s executions scheduled for the year. The governor had previously denied Pike’s request for clemency.
Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges and sentenced to death in 1996, when she was 20.
CHRISTA PIKE WAS SET TO BE THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE EXECUTED IN TENNESSEE IN 200 YEARS BEFORE BOTCHED ATTEMPTS: WHAT TO KNOW
Pike was convicted and sentenced for murdering her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, when she was 18, alongside Pike’s then-17-year-old boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who was sentenced to life in prison.
Pike’s execution was supposed to take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, but the court delayed the execution to consider Pike’s challenge regarding her history of childhood sexual abuse. After the Supreme Court allowed the execution to take place, with three justices nominated by Democratic presidents dissenting, the botched execution occurred on Wednesday night.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
