Christa Pike's family thought she was brain dead and would be taken off life support just hours before she regained consciousness after her botched double lethal injection. The Death Row killer's lawyers revealed they feared the worst as they issued a health update after she woke up on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old Tennessee inmate was hooked to a ventilator after her failed execution on September 30. Her family claim that the hospital was going to take her off her life support before she defied the odds - and is now talking.
Lawyer's shock at recovery
Randy Spivey, one of her lawyers, said: “On Monday night, it was our understanding that Christa was brain dead and that life support would be removed the next day, “But on Tuesday, to the shock of everyone, including me, including her team and including the medical team, Christa woke up and began talking.
“I do not have an explanation for what happened between Monday night and Tuesday morning, but what we do know is Christa has a long road to recovery.”
Family told of plan to let her die
Speaking to the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Pike’s auntie Carrie Ross revealed what the hospital told the family before the death row inmate woke. Ross, the sister of Pike’s late mother, stated: “We got word that she was brain dead and they were taking her off the ventilator.
She added: “They were going to let her go – let her die – at 1 o’clock tomorrow. That was yesterday or a day before.”
Ongoing health struggles
Pike's lawyers added that she is also fighting a blood clot, pneumonia and is unable to swallow. Her team stated she also can't move either of her arms and both her hands are extremely swollen. The team added they don't know what functions she will be able to regain.
Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital as executioners attempted to put her to death on September 30 for the 1995 beating and stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer. Pike is believed to be the only person to survive after lethal injection drugs were administered. Witnesses at her botched executions reportedly heard her snoring before she was rushed to hospital. It is currently unknown if Pike will face a second execution.
