Christa Pike's prognosis still unclear after failed execution, lawyer says
Convicted murderer Christa Pike remains in critical condition following a failed execution attempt in Tennessee. Her lawyer is calling for a commutation of her sentence while authorities have yet to clarify the cause of the botched procedure.
Why it matters
The incident has prompted a suspension of all executions in Tennessee and raised significant ethical and legal questions regarding the death penalty process.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Christa Pike appearing in court in 2007
US murderer Christa Pike remains critically ill in hospital and her prognosis is still unclear following her failed execution, her lawyer has said on Sunday.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday morning, Pike's lawyer Stephen Ferrell said doctors were still trying to clear two doses of pentobarbital from her body.
Pike, 50, was sentenced to death following her conviction for murdering Colleen Slemmer in 1995.
She survived two execution attempts on Wednesday, and was transferred to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ferrell said: "She's still in the hospital, on a ventilator, critically ill, we really don't know the prognosis yet, and may not know for several days."
He didn't believe she had regained consciousness at any point, adding that he has been receiving updates through her medical power of attorney rather than consulting directly with doctors.
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