Christa Pike makes 1st public statement since failed execution
Pike, 50, said she has been in constant pain since she survived two doses of pentobarbital on Sept. 30 for the 1995 stabbing death of 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer.
Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike has given her first public statement since a failed execution attempt. In the statement, Pike, 50, revealed she has endured constant physical and emotional pain since surviving two doses of pentobarbital on September 30, 2022, for the 1995 stabbing death of her 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer.
As one of the youngest women sentenced to death, Pike expressed deep hurt for the victim's family and the loss they faced. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee initiated a third-party investigation into the botched execution, leading to the resignation of the state's prison chief, Frank Strada. Former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton will now oversee the review of the incident.
Pike, who remained awake and lucid throughout the procedure, complained of burning sensations and swelling in her arms. Her lawyers claim faulty IV lines may have caused the drug to enter her bloodstream instead of her veins, leaving her unconscious and on a ventilator. Pike, who is currently housed at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, has urged Governor Lee to reduce her sentence to life imprisonment.
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