Christa Pike, 50, the woman convicted of murdering 19‑year‑old Colleen Slemmer in 1995, is now reported to be walking in the hospital after a botched lethal‑injection execution in Tennessee.
According to lawyer Stephen Ferrell, Pike was moved out of the cell, began to shuffle around her bed and, after a second dose of pentobarbital, was later able to lift her arms and take a few steps in the ward, although hands remain injured.
The state is presently preserving all evidence from the failed execution, including syringes and IV lines, and a judge has ordered that documentation of Pike’s mental state before, during and after the attempt be kept for a possible lawsuit.
Pike’s legal team opposes a repeat execution using lethal injection and is urging Governor Bill Lee to commute her sentence to life without parole. Tennessee officials have declined to set a new date, while a few lawmakers have called for the electric chair.
The case has highlighted concerns over the mechanics of death‑penalty procedures and the potential for irreversible harm when lethal‑injection protocols fail.
