Politics
Christa Pike awake and speaking in hospital after Tennessee execution attempt was halted
Christa Pike is conscious and speaking while receiving critical care after Tennessee halted her execution in Nashville on Sept. 30, her attorneys said Tuesday. They described her prognosis as unclear and said she faces a long recovery from severe arm injuries.
Christa Pike is conscious and speaking while receiving hospital treatment, six days after Tennessee halted its attempt to execute her, her attorneys said Tuesday.
Pike remains in critical care, and her prognosis is unclear, according to her lawyers. They said she has severe injuries to her arms and faces a lengthy recovery. She is still handcuffed and shackled to her hospital bed, they said.
“Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care,” her attorneys said in a statement. They called her recovery medically unprecedented and thanked first responders and hospital staff for their care.
The execution attempt was halted Sept. 30 in Nashville. The attorneys’ statement did not provide further details about the medical circumstances of the attempt or explain why it was stopped.
Pike is a Tennessee death-row inmate. Her condition and the circumstances surrounding the halted execution place renewed attention on the state’s use of capital punishment and the medical care provided to people in its custody.