Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike, 50, was discharged from hospital after surviving a botched execution attempt. She is returning to prison where she has been housed for over 30 years. Her lawyers said she is continuing to receive medical care.
Pike, who was scheduled to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years, survived two lethal injections of pentobarbital on September 30. She was taken to a Nashville hospital unconscious and critically ill after the failed execution. Her lawyers previously believed she could be brain-dead.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has suspended all executions for the rest of the year while investigators look into the failed attempt. A judge ordered state officials to preserve all evidence related to the failed execution, which could lead to a future lawsuit. Pike's lawyers have called for her sentence to be commuted to life in prison.
Pike's survival has reignited debate over the death penalty in the U.S. The Pentagon announced plans to livestream an execution by firing squad, prompting outrage from public figures. Pope Leo called for an end to the death penalty, stating it is inadmissible because it attacks human dignity.