Inmate Christa Pike regains mobility after botched execution attempt

Christa Pike, 50, began taking limited steps and eating solid food at a Nashville hospital a week after Tennessee’s attempt to carry out her death sentence failed. The inmate survived two doses of pentobarbital, which left her arms burned and blistered, and she spent the first days unconscious on a ventilator.

Her attorneys said Pike’s first steps on Wednesday required assistance and that she is regaining mobility in her arms. She also regained consciousness on Tuesday, was able to speak, and has started eating for the first time since the incident.

"While her physical recovery has been remarkable, significant questions remain about the long-term effects of what she endured," the lawyers said in a statement.

The attorneys added that Pike continues to experience confusion, concentration and memory difficulties, and they warned that the psychological impact of surviving a failed execution could be profound. They indicated they will urge Governor Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life without parole, stating that she should not face another execution attempt.

State officials have not provided a definitive explanation for the botched execution. Medical and lethal-injection experts are investigating whether an improperly placed IV line caused the drug to pool in Pike’s tissue rather than enter her bloodstream. The prison chief resigned, and Governor Lee postponed the state’s remaining scheduled execution while ordering a review of the incident.

The failed execution on Sept. 30 has revived national scrutiny of lethal-injection protocols as other states, including Texas, have proceeded with executions amid the controversy.