Christa Pike walking in hospital after surviving Tennessee execution attempt
publishers 106articles 246first reported 1 Oct, 10:15 UTCdeveloping since 1 Oct · 18 editionstop 25 #10
Christa Pike was able to walk briefly in her hospital room Thursday, eight days after surviving Tennessee’s attempt to execute her by lethal injection, one of her lawyers said.
Pike, 50, remained mentally foggy and had limited use of her injured arms, lawyer Stephen Ferrell told the BBC, according to The Irish Times. Her legal team said Wednesday that she had pneumonia, a blood clot, difficulty swallowing and severe swelling in her arms and hands. Attorney Randy Spivey said Pike had been considered brain-dead Monday but regained consciousness and began speaking Tuesday.
Tennessee officials administered two doses of pentobarbital during the Sept. 30 execution attempt. Pike complained that her arms were burning during the procedure and was later taken unconscious but alive to a hospital. Her lawyers had previously warned that her blood disorder could make intravenous access difficult.
A Tennessee judge on Wednesday ordered the state Department of Correction to preserve drugs, medical equipment, communications and other evidence connected to the failed execution. Gov. Bill Lee has barred further lethal-injection executions in Tennessee for the rest of the year and ordered an investigation.
The episode also entered litigation in Texas, where attorneys for death-row prisoner Jamaal Howard argued that the state’s pentobarbital posed risks similar to those in Pike’s case. A Texas court denied their request to halt Howard’s scheduled Wednesday execution.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 170 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 106
- Source articles
- 246
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 170 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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