NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Krista Pike is walking and eating again at a hospital a week after Tennessee tried to execute her with lethal drugs, her attorney said Thursday.
Eight days earlier, Pike, 50, survived two doses of pentobarbital after the government attempted to put her to death by lethal injection in the 1995 beating and stabbing death of classmate Colleen Slemmer. The drugs did not kill her, and her arms were burned and blistered, according to her attorney. For the first few days of his hospital stay, Parker was in a coma and needed a ventilator.
watch: Botched execution reignites debate over capital punishment
Her lawyer said in a statement that her first steps on Wednesday were “limited” and she needed some help walking Thursday. She also regained movement in her arms and was able to eat for the first time.
But lawyers warned her physical recovery and legal status remained uncertain following the attempted execution.
Questions remain about Parker’s recovery and legal case
The failed execution on September 30 has renewed scrutiny of how states carry out capital punishment. Texas on Wednesday carried out the first execution in the United States since Tennessee’s execution.
“While her physical recovery has been remarkable, significant questions remain about the long-term effects of what she experienced,” her attorneys said in a statement Thursday. “Krista is dealing with the deep psychological trauma of surviving a botched execution, including fear, pain and the uncertainty of believing she was about to die.”
They said Pike regained consciousness Tuesday and was able to talk after waking up.
They initially described her as “confused” shortly after regaining consciousness and said Thursday that she continued to struggle with concentration and memory. Doctors said it was too early to assess the long-term effects, the lawyer added.
It’s unclear whether Tennessee will try to execute her again. Her lawyers said they would urge Republican Gov. Bill Lee to commute her death sentence to life in prison without parole.
“She does not deserve to be executed again,” they said in the statement.
What went wrong during execution remains unclear
Mr Lee has since postponed the state’s only scheduled execution this year and ordered a review into why it failed. The state’s prison director resigned following the execution.
Medical and lethal injection experts are concerned about whether problems with the intravenous line caused the drug to collect in her tissues instead of entering her bloodstream.
Read more: Latest developments in the Christa Pike case and previous botched executions in Tennessee
“Apparently, no member of the executive team was aware that the IV line was incorrectly positioned,” Pike’s attorneys wrote in a court filing.
State officials have offered no explanation for what happened.
As proceedings progressed, Peck was asked if she had a final statement, and she expressed calmness. After about five minutes, she looked up and said her arm was hurt. She later appeared to lose consciousness but could be heard breathing heavily until media witnesses were escorted out of the witness room nearly 90 minutes into the execution. An ambulance took her to hospital.
Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Safiyah Riddle in Los Angeles contributed.
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