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

Christa Pike, now 50, is “up and walking” despite being mentally “foggy” after a failed execution attempt in Tennessee last September, according to her legal team. Pike was sentenced to death in 1995 for the brutal murder of Colleen Slemmer alongside her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. During the execution attempt on September 30, Pike survived two lethal injections.

Experts described this as an unprecedented case. Lawyer Stephen Ferrell, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, stated that Pike’s arms were swollen and barely functioning while she took her first steps around her hospital room. A court has directed state officials to preserve all evidence related to the failed execution, which could potentially lead to a future lawsuit against the state.

This case is unique, as Pike is believed to be the only person to have survived an execution attempt via lethal injection. The mother of Slemmer, who advocated for Pike’s death sentence, referred to the execution attempt as a “mess.” Pike’s boyfriend, Shipp, who was spared the death penalty due to his age at the time, remains incarcerated.

Her lawyer, Randy Spivey, previously reported that Pike was awake and speaking, but experiencing anger and confusion, with her arms being handcuffed to her bed. Following the latest updates, Ferrell revealed that Pike continues to experience the after-effects of the drug pentobarbital. Once it became clear Pike would not die from the execution attempt, she was taken to the hospital, where she was initially unconscious and declared in critical condition.

As of late Wednesday, however, she was “fairly well,” Ferrell said. Her arms were severely injured and she could barely use them. Ferrell also noted that Pike is walking around her hospital room but not far. Regarding her mental state, Ferrell stated that it is both positive and negative: she is somewhat lucid, but also quite disoriented, easily losing her train of thought and forgetting where she is going.

The team supporting Pike emphasizes the need for psychological support for her recovery. They also oppose any further attempts at execution and are urging Tennessee’s governor, Bill Lee, to downgrade Pike’s sentence to life in prison without parole. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s capital punishment advocates have suggested a return to the electric chair as an alternative execution method.