Tennessee Inmate Who Survived Lethal Injection Is Returned to Prison

Krista Gail Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate who remained alive after an execution attempt, has been released from the hospital and returned to prison, ABC News reported, citing her attorneys. The 50-year-old was moved back into correctional custody after being treated for the effects of the failed procedure.

In a statement released by her legal team, Pike said she was grateful to emergency responders and to her medical staff for the care they provided under what the attorneys described as exceptional circumstances. The Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee and the state's post-conviction defender office said she would continue to receive medical treatment while incarcerated.

Pike had been sentenced to death over a killing committed in 1995. During the execution, a second dose of the drug pentobarbital was administered after the first failed to bring about the intended result; her breathing then became labored and she began to snore, but she did not die.

Governor Bill Lee described the episode as unprecedented and halted upcoming executions in the state through the end of the year. He also directed that an independent review be carried out to examine what happened.

The pause on executions and the pending review leave the timing of any future lethal injections in Tennessee uncertain, while Pike remains in custody and under medical supervision.