Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike has regained consciousness after surviving a failed execution attempt and is reportedly “angry and confused” about what happened, her lawyers have said.
Pike, 50, woke up and began speaking on Tuesday, nearly six days after officials attempted to execute her by lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. According to her attorney, Randy Spivey, Pike initially asked hospital staff, “Where am I?” and “Who are you?”
Her lawyers said Pike remains in serious condition and is facing a long recovery. They said she is unable to move her arms or swallow properly and has suffered severe swelling and blistering to her hands and arms. She is also reportedly battling pneumonia and has a blood clot in one of her arms.
Pike was scheduled to be executed on September 30 for the 1995 torture and murder of her 19-year-old classmate, Colleen Slemmer. Officials administered two doses of pentobarbital, but Pike survived and was eventually taken to hospital after the execution attempt failed. She is believed to be the first person in the United States to survive after receiving lethal injection drugs during an execution.
Her lawyers said they were initially informed that Pike was believed to be brain-dead and that life support was expected to be withdrawn. They were therefore shocked when she regained consciousness and began talking. Her legal team is now seeking clemency and has argued that Pike has already suffered enough.
Meanwhile, a Tennessee judge has ordered state officials to preserve evidence connected to the failed execution, including drugs, syringes, intravenous lines, recordings and communications relating to the procedure. The order comes as Pike’s lawyers seek greater transparency over what went wrong during the execution attempt.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has suspended executions in the state for the remainder of 2026 and ordered an independent review of the incident. It remains unclear whether officials will seek to execute Pike again.
