Christa Pike Unexpectedly Wakes After Botched Tennessee Execution

By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)

Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate whose execution failed twice last week, unexpectedly regained consciousness Tuesday after her attorneys had feared she was "brain dead." Pike had remained on life support since the state attempted to execute her Sept. 30, according to Fox News. Her legal team had been expecting her to be taken off life support before she suddenly woke up and began speaking, attorney Randy Spivey said Wednesday. "To the shock of everyone, including me, including her team and including the medical team, Christa woke up and began talking," Spivey told reporters following a court hearing in Nashville. Pike's first words were reportedly, "Where am I?" and "Who are you?" Spivey said she remains confused and has a difficult recovery ahead. The attorney said Pike is suffering from pneumonia, cannot swallow and has developed a blood clot in one arm. He also described severe swelling in her hands, comparing them to a blown-up surgical glove. It is not yet known whether Pike will regain full use of her arms. The developments came as Davidson County Chancery Court Judge I'Ashea Myles granted Pike's emergency request to preserve evidence connected to the failed execution. Myles ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to retain physical evidence, including needles, IV lines, drug packaging and medications. The order also covers electronic evidence such as text messages, encrypted communications, photographs and recordings. The judge specifically directed the department to preserve communications sent through apps such as Signal. She said officials should take steps to recover any evidence that may already have been deleted, destroyed or otherwise lost. Pike's legal future remains uncertain. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has paused executions through the end of 2026 while the state investigates the problems surrounding the failed attempt. Assistant Attorney General Will Ayers did not say Wednesday whether prosecutors would seek another death warrant for Pike. Her attorneys are instead asking that her death sentence be changed to life in prison without parole. Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. Two other people involved received lesser sentences, including one who was 17 at the time and another who testified for the state under a plea agreement. Watch the videos below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYSqcohR3wo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iyXK0sYRQ0