Christa Pike, who survived a botched execution in Tennessee, is being treated in a hospital under tight security. Her attorney, Stephen Ferrell, says it is still unclear whether the 50-year-old will recover.
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Ferrell told CNN that the room where Pike is being held is guarded. He said he has not been allowed inside and that doctors have not yet provided a long-term prognosis, as it could take several days to assess her injuries.
“If she recovers, she may not recover fully,” the attorney said.
Pike remains unconscious and has not regained the ability to communicate. She was taken to the hospital unconscious, with swollen arms and blisters on her skin, and was later intubated and placed on a ventilator.
The execution was scheduled for September 30, after she had spent about 30 years on death row. Pike was sentenced to death in 1996 for the torture and murder of her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, a crime committed in 1995.
During the procedure, medical personnel attempted to administer two doses of pentobarbital. Court documents and testimony indicate that at least seven needles were used and that the entire process lasted about two hours.
Even after the doses were injected, Pike did not die. According to her attorneys, she could be heard crying, moaning and struggling to breathe during the execution. It was reported that even after the media left the viewing room, the sounds of her snoring could still be heard from there.
Her attorneys suspect that the failure was linked to the improper placement of the intravenous lines, which may have prevented the pentobarbital from entering the bloodstream.
They said the execution team failed to realize in time that the lines had not been properly placed or that the veins may have been damaged. Rather than resolving the problem, it is alleged that another set of syringes containing pentobarbital was used.
The defense has requested that all evidence from the procedure be preserved in order to determine responsibility and protect Pike’s legal rights.
Following the incident, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspended all other executions for the remainder of the year and ordered an independent investigation to establish what happened.
Frank Strada, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction, also announced his resignation. He will leave office later this month and said he believes the department acted in accordance with protocol, but that his resignation is in the best interest of the public while the investigation is underway.
Tennessee authorities have not said whether they will try to execute Pike again. Her attorney has asked the governor to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment, arguing that she endured immense physical and psychological suffering during the procedure.
Earlier, Pike had argued in court that the execution could constitute cruel and unusual treatment, citing her health problems and physical characteristics, including small veins.
