Christa Pike now walking after failed US execution, lawyer tells BBC

Christa Pike, 50, is now walking within her hospital room following a failed execution attempt in Tennessee, according to her lawyer Stephen Ferrell. Pike, who was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer alongside her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, survived two lethal injections on September 30. Ferrell, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, revealed that Pike was initially unconscious and declared to be in critical condition upon being transferred to the hospital.

However, she is now reportedly "fairly well" and able to move around her room, though her arms are injured and she struggles to use them. Pike's mental state is described as both positive and foggy, with difficulties in focus and forgetting her path. The court has ordered the preservation of all evidence related to the failed execution, which may pave the way for a potential lawsuit against Tennessee.

Pike's lawyer and his team oppose any further attempts at execution using the same lethal injection method and are urging Governor Bill Lee to downgrade her sentence to life in prison without parole. Meanwhile, Tennessee's pro-capital punishment advocates have suggested using an alternative method, such as the electric chair. Governor Lee has temporarily halted all executions in the state and is seeking answers about the incident.

The judge has mandated that all items from the execution room be preserved, including medical equipment and waste, along with documentation related to Pike's psychological condition before, during, and after the attempted execution.