Pike cites 'incompetence' after surviving Tennessee lethal injection

Christa Pike attributed her survival of a failed lethal injection in Tennessee to administrative incompetence, telling her legal team on Friday that she remains in constant pain. The 50-year-old inmate provided her first public statement since the Sept. 30 procedure, dictating the remarks from the infirmary at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center where she is currently housed.

Pike described a period of physical and emotional distress that began the moment she woke up in a hospital bed after the state administered two doses of pentobarbital. She said she had prepared to die in peace and did not anticipate a life beyond her execution date. "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. And the pain isn’t just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul."

The failed execution stemmed from Pike's conviction for the 1995 stabbing death of Colleen Slemmer, a 19-year-old classmate. Pike was 18 when she and her boyfriend committed the crime, making her one of the youngest women to receive a death sentence. While expressing gratitude to the medical workers who saved her life, Pike said she is deeply hurt by the errors that led to the botched procedure. "I’m deeply hurt by the incompetence that has put so many people in this terrible position," she said, adding that she continues to think about the victim’s family.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has responded to the incident by calling for an investigation into the events of Sept. 30. He has also postponed the state’s other lethal injection scheduled for this year. Pike’s attorneys have urged Lee to reduce her sentence to life imprisonment. However, Lee told reporters this week that he suspects her sentence will remain unchanged unless the courts decide otherwise.

Pike was hospitalized immediately following the failed execution before being transferred back to the prison facility. In her statement, she said she is trying to heal one day at a time while holding on to the kindness shown to her by others. She noted that finding hope can be difficult on some days, but she is not alone in the aftermath of the procedure.

The statement was delivered to Pike's legal team from the prison infirmary. Pike said she does not know what comes next, but she is focused on the present moment as she recovers from the physical and mental toll of the event.