Christa Pike's legal representatives have disclosed her initial words upon regaining consciousness following the failed execution attempt in Tennessee.
The 50-year-old survived two lethal injections during last week's unsuccessful execution before being transported urgently to a Nashville hospital, where she continues to receive treatment.
Evidence preservation order
Her legal team appeared before the court today requesting an order compelling the state to preserve all evidence relating to the execution. The judge instructed Tennessee authorities to preserve "anything that was in the actual room".
Speaking to journalists outside the courthouse, Pike's solicitor Randy Spivey disclosed what she uttered upon awakening, The Mirror reported. She asked: "Where am I and who are you?"
Medical condition after the attempt
Mr Spivey stated Pike was "angry and confused" but "very aware that the state tried to execute her". He described "extraordinary" swelling to her hands, comparing them to the appearance of "if you tried to blow up a surgical glove".
According to Mr Spivey, Pike awoke suffering from a blood clot and pneumonia, unable to swallow or move her arms, which he reported were both significantly swollen. "I don't know what function she will regain," he stated.
Legal arguments and background
Pike's legal representatives argued the botched execution was "foreseeable and foreseen" due to her medical condition. Mr Spivey commented: "What happened to Christa is exactly what the state was warned would happen, and there are so many questions that need to be answered, not by Christa, but by the state of Tennessee."
He continued: "Christa was at peace. She helped the execution team find what they thought was venous access." Mr Spivey stated that Pike has been unable to swallow or consume food since regaining consciousness. "We do know that there is a long road ahead," he continued.
Her legal representatives also indicated it was their belief that Pike was "brain dead" on Monday and that "life support" would be withdrawn the next day. However, she regained consciousness on Tuesday.
Pike remarkably survived two lethal injections last week after being brought to the execution chamber in Tennessee. She had been scheduled to become the first woman put to death by the state in over two centuries. Pike received a death sentence for the killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in January 1995. Slemmer was enticed to a secluded location on the University of Tennessee agricultural campus, where she was murdered. Pike was found guilty alongside her boyfriend in 1996. The court was told that a pentagram had been carved into Slemmer's chest.
