Death row inmate Christa Pike says she is in constant physical and mental pain after surviving her state execution in Tennessee. The 50-year-old, who received the death penalty after being convicted of murder, detailed the distressing events leading up to the botched lethal injection and her feelings when she woke up a few days later.
Prepared to die
Pike, who was injected with two doses of lethal pentobarbital by Tennessee state officials, explained how she had "made [her] peace" with the fact she was due to be killed, saying that she "walked into the execution chamber . . . prepared to die."
The statement describes how Pike had discussed her execution with "the people who loved me, supported me and stood by me through the years", telling them that she was "grateful". It reads: "I had also told the people in the room and who were there to witness my execution that I was leaving them in loving kindness."
Waking up in pain
The statement also detailed the shocking moment Pike woke up and realised the execution had been botched. It said: "Several days later I woke up alone in a hospital confused and in pain. There hasn't been a moment since that night when I haven't been in pain. 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."
She continued: "I had not contemplated life beyond that night, and I'm deeply hurt by the incompetence that has put so many people in this terrible position. I continue to think about my victim's family and the terrible pain and loss they have endured."
Isolation and recovery
Pike said she is recovering and getting stronger, but noted that "healing is not the same as being okay". She described being largely isolated in the prison's medical ward since the night of the execution, away from other people and the human connections that mean so much to her. "That isolation brings its own kind of pain," she said. "I spent 28 years in solitary confinement and much of what I am experiencing today is a repeat of that condition."
She spoke of searching for meaning in what happened to her, finding strength in the love and support she has received from people around the world. "To know that so many people care about me, that they see me as a human being whose life matters, is something I cannot fully put into words," she said.
Pike also thanked the first responders, doctors, nurses and everyone at the hospital who cared for her, as well as her attorneys and everyone who has fought for her. "I don't know why I survived that night. I don't know what comes next," she said. "Some days, finding hope is harder than others. For now, I am trying to heal, one day at a time. And I am holding on to the love and kindness of so many people who have reminded me that I am not alone."
