Christa Pike, who survived a Tennessee attempt to execute her by lethal injection last week, has regained consciousness and is speaking, her lawyers said in a statement on Tuesday (October 6).

Despite severe injuries to her arms, Pike, 50, is "still handcuffed and shackled to the bed," where she "continues to receive critical medical care," her team of public defense attorneys wrote.

Pike, sentenced to death for her role in the torture-murder of a schoolmate three decades ago, survived a botched execution attempt on the night of September 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, the state capital, and has been hospitalized since then.

Pike, 50, was convicted three decades ago ‌of first-degree ⁠murder for her role in the torture and killing of a 19-year-old vocational school classmate, Colleen Slemmer, at the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville in 1995, when Pike was 18.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 2, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SIGN

UNKNOWN LOCATION (ARCHIVE - 2023, EXACT DATE UNKNOWN) (TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION HANDOUT - For editorial use only) (MUTE)

2. BOOKING PHOTOGRAPH OF DEATH ROW INMATE CHRISTA GAIL PIKE

UNKNOWN LOCATION (ARCHIVE - 2004, EXACT DATE UNKNOWN) (TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION HANDOUT - For editorial use only) (MUTE)

3. BOOKING PHOTOGRAPH OF DEATH ROW INMATE CHRISTA GAIL PIKE

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (ARCHIVE - MARCH 30, 1996) (JOE HOWELL/KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL/USA TODAY NETWORK - Must Courtesy Joe Howell/Knoxville News-Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK. No archive. No resales) (MUTE)

4. STILL PICTURE OF CHRISTA PIKE BEHING ESCORTED FROM KNOX COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT AFTER BEING SENTENCED TO DEATH

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 4, 2007) (J. MILES CARY/ KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL/USA TODAY NETWORK - Must Courtesy J. Miles Cary/ Knoxville News Sentinel/USA TODAY NETWORK. No archive. No resales) (MUTE)

5. STILL PICTURE OF PIKE ENTERING A KNOX COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 2, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

6. VARIOUS OF CHECKPOINT NEAR RIVERBEND MAXIMUM SECURITY INSTITUTION

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 30, 2026) (ABC AFFILIATE WKRN - No use USA / No archive) (NIGHT SHOTS)

7. NEWS CONFERENCE BY MEDIA WITNESSES AT ATTEMPTED EXECUTION OF TENNESSEE DEATH ROW INMATE, CHRISTA PIKE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEDIA WITNESS AND NEWS ANCHOR AT ABC AFFILIATE WKRN, TORI GESSNER, SAYING:

"At one point at 7:34 (p.m.), she said, 'my arm feels like it's about to burst open.' Then she smiles really big. Then she starts talking about that one spot on her arm. Does this happen like that? The one spot... I didn't hear the rest. And then her advisor says, 'relax.' And she says, 'I'm trying.' Yeah. She's talking throughout this, then starts breathing, moaning, snoring."

HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (ARCHIVE) (TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE - Must courtesy Texas Department of Criminal Justice. No resale) (MUTE)

9. CURTAIN CLOSING OVER EXECUTION ROOM

10. STILL PICTURE OF JAIL CELL

11. VARIOUS STILL OF PICTURES OF EXECUTION TABLE