Krista Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, said on Friday that a month after the unsuccessful attempt on her life, she continues to experience persistent pain and has difficulty speaking. In her first public statement since the incident, she said she expected to die but instead woke up alone and confused in a hospital.
Physical and Emotional Pain
Pike, 50, received two doses of pentobarbital during the execution attempt on September 30, and her lawyers reported that she suffered severe burns and blisters on her hands. In the early days following the incident, she was unconscious and on a ventilator in the hospital.
Pike said, "Every moment of that night when I woke up, I felt pain. My body hurts. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still have trouble speaking." She also mentioned her emotional pain, stating, "There is pain in my mind and soul."
Accountability for Execution Issues
Following the incident, Governor Bill Lee ordered an investigation and postponed other executions in Tennessee. The state prison warden also resigned. Pike went on to address the execution issues, saying, "This failure was due to the inability to carry out the execution properly."
She also thanked the medical staff who saved her life and acknowledged the pain and suffering of her victim's family, Colin Slamer. Pike was sentenced to death for the torture and murder of Colin Slamer in 1995. At that time, she was 18 years old and committed the crime with her boyfriend.
Pike said, "I still think about my victim's family and am aware of the terrible pain and suffering they have endured."
Governor Lee stated in an interview, "I am skeptical that her sentence will remain as it is unless the courts decide otherwise." Pike dictated her statement to her legal team from the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she had returned after hospitalization.
She concluded by saying, "I don't know why I survived that night. I don't know what awaits me. For now, I am trying to improve day by day."
