There are questions over whether Christa Pike will face a second execution method after a failed execution attempt.
Pike was sentenced to death after murdering her 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer with her then-boyfriend in 1995. At the time, Pike was 18.
She is now reportedly facing psychological trauma as she recovers from Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her.
Her lawyers described “profound psychological trauma” in a statement released to PEOPLE on Thursday, October 8. They said the pain, fear and uncertainty surrounding the attempt had left its full emotional impact unclear.
The 50-year-old remains in a Nashville hospital after receiving two doses of pentobarbital on September 30. Her legal team is also seeking psychological support as questions remain over possible lasting effects.
Christa Pike’s failed execution prompts evidence order
The legal scrutiny now extends to materials from the execution chamber.
On October 7, a Tennessee judge ordered officials to preserve evidence from the failed execution including: needles, IV lines, drugs, footage and communications.
At the hearing, lawyer Luke Ihnen said Pike remained handcuffed and shackled to her hospital bed. He said medical staff had objected to those restraints.
The judge requested further medical evidence before deciding whether they should be removed.
Governor Bill Lee has ordered an independent review and paused Tennessee’s remaining executions for 2026.
Pike’s lawyers have urged Lee to replace her death sentence with life imprisonment without parole.
Whether Tennessee will attempt another execution remains unclear.
Republican candidate for governor in next month’s election, Marsha Blackburn, has called for the electric chair to be brought back.
“While there should be a thorough review of what happened and why the process failed, the answer is simple: bring back the electric chair and deliver justice for these victims swiftly,” she said.
Pike carried out the murder in 1995. That dates back to before Tennessee changing the execution laws on the electric chair, the BBC reported.
Vanderbilt University law professor Chris Slobogin told the BBC that Pike would need to waive her right to lethal injection.
But Slobogin pointed out that because of her unknown mental state, a second execution could be blocked.
Colleen Slemmer’s mother says Pike has shown no remorse
Pike’s lawyers say she continues to express concern for Colleen’s family.
However, Colleen’s mother, May Martinez, previously told PEOPLE that Pike had never apologised for murdering her daughter.
“She has no remorse. She’s never had any remorse in 31 years,” May said.
Following the failed execution, May said she still wanted her daughter’s killer executed.
Christa Pike walks with assistance during recovery
Alongside their concerns about trauma, Pike’s lawyers have outlined improvements in her physical condition.
Their latest statement says she is walking with assistance and regaining movement and strength in her arms. They also reported clear lungs and a return to a regular diet after initial difficulty swallowing.
Earlier, her lawyers reported pneumonia, an arm blood clot and significant swelling in both arms and hands.
They allege problems inserting IV lines may have allowed pentobarbital to leak into surrounding tissue, severely injuring her arms.
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Her lawyers said they were told on October 5 that she was brain dead. She began speaking the following day, according to their account.