[UPDATE] Christa Pike's lawyer asks Tennessee's governor to commute her death sentence to life

Pike, 50, is still unconscious on a ventilator after surviving two pentobarbital doses on Sept. 30.

Pike remains unconscious on a ventilator, with no prognosis for days. Her lawyer, Stephen Ferrell, urged Bill Lee (Gov-R Tennessee) to commute her sentence to life 'at the very least.' The state attorney general has not said whether it will try to execute her again.

PREVIOUSLY

Sept. 30 — The Supreme Court, over three liberal dissents, lifted a 2-1 6th Circuit stay issued about an hour before Pike's execution was set to begin.
Sept. 30 — Pike survived two pentobarbital doses after about an hour of IV attempts; Tennessee paused its last scheduled execution of 2026.
Oct. 2 — With Pike unconscious on a ventilator, her lawyers moved to preserve evidence; Tennessee Republican lawmakers called for a review of the single-drug method.
Oct. 3 — Corrections chief Frank Strada said he will step down, insisting staff followed protocol; a former U.S. attorney will run an independent review.

Where it stands:

Ferrell: 'If she recovers - she may not fully recover - and there may be issues about her competence.'
Pike has spent 30+ years in prison, mostly in solitary confinement.
Doctors are still clearing the pentobarbital from her system.