Christa Pike Begins Walking After Failed Execution Attempt

Christa Pike has begun walking short distances in her hospital room, more than a week after she survived Tennessee’s September 30 lethal-injection attempt, her attorneys said Thursday. They said she remains badly injured and mentally foggy, and that her longer-term recovery is uncertain. Lawyer Stephen Ferrell said Pike took her first steps on Wednesday and could move only a short distance around the room. Her arms remained severely injured, limiting her ability to use them, and she could lose her train of thought, he said. Her attorneys also said she had begun eating, after earlier being unable to swallow. The update follows attorneys’ account that Pike awoke and began speaking on October 6, after they had been told she was believed to be brain-dead and that life support might be withdrawn. Lawyer Randy Spivey said she initially appeared confused and angry. The account of her condition and recovery has come from her legal team; the reports provide no assessment from her treating clinicians or a medical prognosis. After the September 30 attempt, Pike’s attorneys said she had pneumonia, a blood clot in one arm, difficulty swallowing and severely swollen hands.