Christa Pike ‘conscious and speaking’ nearly a week on from botched execution

You are about to be charged £0.00* *Your gift has been applied Thank you for subscribing! Christa Pike ‘conscious and speaking’ nearly a week on from botched execution Pike is convicted for the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer The fearless champion of Britain, its voices and its values. Join the fight for free speech and fearless journalism. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Community Rules. Don't Miss Most Read Latest Christa Pike is “conscious and speaking” after surviving a failed lethal injection execution in Tennessee, US, her attorneys say. Pike, who is convicted for the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer, continues to receive critical medical care nearly a week on. The 50-year-old was due to die on the night of September 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, the state capital, and has been hospitalised since. Pike’s lawyers said in a statement: "Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care. Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. "Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery." It remains unclear whether officials will make another attempt to execute Pike, with authorities yet to explain why the lethal injection failed. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has put a halt to executions in the state for the remainder of the year. The state's prisons chief also announced over the weekend that he intends to step down. Pike was 18 when she and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, killed 19-year-old Slemmer after beating and torturing her. The pair had met their victim at a job training camp for troubled teenagers. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Christa Pike ‘conscious and speaking’ nearly a week on from botched execution, her attorneys say |REUTERS Witnesses reported hearing Pike breathing and making noises for more than an hour after the first injection. She was eventually taken from the prison by ambulance and transferred to hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator. Her attorneys have alleged that execution staff struggled to establish intravenous access, with multiple attempts made to insert an IV into her arms. Tennessee officials have maintained that the state's established execution protocol was followed, while an independent review has been ordered into what happened. The botched execution has also prompted renewed calls from some Republican lawmakers to consider alternative execution methods, including the electric chair. Pike was convicted of the 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, whom she met at a Job Corps training centre in Knoxville.