Christa Pike, a 50-year-old death row inmate in Tennessee, released her first public statement since surviving a failed execution in September. Pike survived two lethal injections of pentobarbital and said she remains in pain across her body and mind. "There hasn't been a moment since that night when I haven't been in pain," she said. "My body hurts. My arms hurt. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still struggle to speak."
Pike was discharged from hospital at the end of last month after the botched execution left her in critical condition. She has since returned to prison, where she has spent the last 30 years for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Lawyers previously said Pike suffered pneumonia after the attempt, had significant swelling on her arms and was unable to swallow.
Pike is thought to be the only person to survive an execution attempt by lethal injection in the United States. The Tennessee Department of Correction has not explained why the execution did not go as planned, though it defended the method used. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee paused all executions for the remainder of the year and ordered an independent review.
When asked about a potential second execution attempt, Lee said, "I suspect her sentence will be the same as before unless determined otherwise by the courts." The state has not commented on Pike's statement.
Colleen Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, attended the botched execution and called it a "mess." She told a local ABC News affiliate that the state owes her an apology and that "all I wanted was justice."