‘Medically unprecedented’: Christa Pike alive, speaking days after failed execution

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ( WKRN ) — Christa Pike is alive and speaking nearly a week after she was given two lethal injection doses during a failed execution attempt, her attorneys confirmed Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Pike received two doses of the state’s lethal injection drug pentobarbital and survived. She was taken away from Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in an ambulance to a Nashville area hospital.

Earlier this week, Pike remained incapacitated on a ventilator while medical staff worked to clear the drug from her system. However, by Tuesday, Pike’s attorneys said she was conscious, speaking and receiving critical medical care.

“We are incredibly grateful to the first responders and the medical team at the hospital who treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her,” her legal team expressed. “We also want to thank thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for Christa.”

Pike’s attorney’s noted that she sustained “severe damage” to her arms and remains handcuffed and shackled to a hospital bed. Although her prognosis remains unclear, Pike’s legal team said, at minimum, they expect a “long recovery.”

According to officials, Pike is the only person known to have survived a complete execution attempt in the United States. Following the failed execution, Pike’s attorneys are asking Gov. Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Pike’s legal team is due in court Wednesday, Oct. 7. No additional details were immediatlely released.