Christa Pike Speaks Out After Failed Execution, Says Pain Has Not Stopped

In brief

• Christa Pike, who survived a lethal injection in Tennessee on September 30, issued her first public statement a month later.
• She says she has felt pain constantly since waking in hospital and still has trouble speaking.
• Her lawyers have filed a clemency petition.
• Pike was sentenced in 1996 for the killing of classmate Colleen Slemmer.

Statement one month after the execution

Exactly a month after the execution, Pike, 50, issued her first public statement. It was dictated to her lawyers and reported by CNN and CBS (Выжившая после двух смертельных инъекций Криста Пайк сделала первое публичное заявление – Zerkalo) («С тех пор не было ни мгновения без боли». Американка Криста Пайк, выжившая после неудачной казни, впервые рассказала о своем состоянии – NV). In the statement, she says she has felt pain every moment since she came to in hospital. Her whole body hurts, including her hands, wrists and throat, and speaking is still difficult. She describes the pain as emotional as well as physical (Christa Pike przerwała milczenie. "Cierpię" – TVN24).

Pike says she is recovering, but she does not feel well. She also said that on the night of the execution she had said goodbye to people and did not expect to survive.

What happened on September 30

Tennessee authorities gave Pike two doses of pentobarbital on September 30 (Christa Pike przeżyła egzekucję. Po raz pierwszy zabrała głos – Dziennik.pl). Pike has blamed the failed execution on incompetence (Christa Pike przeżyła egzekucję w więzieniu w stanie Tennessee (USA). Morderczyni Christa Pike wydała oświadczenie | TVP INFO – tvp.info).

Crime and sentence

Pike was convicted of taking part in the torture and killing of Colleen Slemmer, a 19-year-old classmate. She committed the crime with her boyfriend when she was 18. She was sentenced in 1996 and became one of the youngest women sentenced to death in the United States.

Clemency petition

Pike's lawyers have filed a petition for clemency. Her statement is the first public comment she has made since the failed execution.