Christa Pike's attorneys say client is awake and speaking after failed execution

The attorneys for Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike said Tuesday that Pike is awake and speaking to her medical team after last week's failed execution attempt, marking a development the attorneys described as “unprecedented.”

The attorneys said Pike is still handcuffed and that her prognosis is still unclear, according to NBC News. The development comes after Pike was on a ventilator last week after she survived two rounds of injections of the lethal drug pentobarbital.

“At a minimum, we expect a long recovery,” attorneys Randy Spivey and Kelly Gleason said. “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. We also want to thank thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for Christa.”

Pike, who was convicted of killing former classmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995 when she was just 18-years-old, was initially scheduled to be executed last week, but it was delayed after an appeals court stayed the execution. The Supreme Court later ruled the execution could move forward if it was carried out before midnight.

Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee has halted a third execution attempt in light of the botched injections and has ordered a "comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred." The next attempt will not take place this year.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.