Death Row Inmate Survives Botched Execution
Christa Pike claims constant pain and emotional distress following two doses of lethal injection drug.
Callum Smith
Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, survived a botched execution attempt on September 30.
Pike released a statement to WBIR in Knoxville on Friday, dictated to her attorney, detailing her ongoing ordeal. She claims constant, severe pain since the botched attempt, struggling to speak and experiencing pain across her body, mind, and soul.
There hasn't been a moment since that night when I haven't been in pain. My body hurts. My arms hurt. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still struggle to speak. And the pain isn't just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul.
Pike feels deeply hurt by the incompetence that led to the failed execution. She recovers and gets stronger, but maintains healing is not the same as being okay.
She searches for meaning in what happened, having not contemplated a life beyond her execution date. Pike does not know why she survived or what comes next.
Despite ongoing pain, Pike claims to have received extraordinary love and support from people around the world. She thanks the medical workers who saved her life and the people who showed her kindness, trying to heal one day at a time and holding on to love and kindness.