Pike details months of pain after failed Tennessee execution

Christa Pike has described a month of unceasing physical and mental anguish following her failed execution in Tennessee.

In a statement dictated from the prison infirmary on Friday, Pike said she remains in constant pain one month after surviving the procedure. She noted that her body, arms, hands, and throat all hurt, and that she still struggles to speak. Pike, 50, added that the pain extends beyond her body into her mind and soul.

The state attempted to execute Pike on Sept. 30 for the 1995 stabbing death of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime, making her one of the youngest women sentenced to death. During the attempt, the state administered two doses of pentobarbital, but Pike survived and was hospitalized before being moved to the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center.

Pike attributed the failed execution to state incompetence. She stated that she never contemplated life beyond her execution date and was prepared to die in peace, but instead woke up alone and confused in a hospital bed. She expressed deep hurt over the situation and said she continues to think about the victim's family and their loss.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has called for an investigation into the events of Sept. 30. He also postponed the state's other lethal injection scheduled for this year. In remarks to reporters this week, Lee said he suspects Pike's sentence will remain the same unless the courts determine otherwise. Pike's attorneys have urged the governor to reduce her sentence to life imprisonment.

Pike expressed gratitude for the medical workers who saved her life and the kindness shown by others. She said she does not know why she survived or what comes next, adding that finding hope is difficult on some days. She described her current focus as healing one day at a time while holding on to the love of those who have reminded her she is not alone.