Christa Pike, the sole woman on Tennessee's death row, remains in critical condition, unconscious and on a ventilator in a hospital, two days after a severely problematic execution attempt, her attorneys announced Friday.

Pike is being treated for severe effects from the pentobarbital administered during the execution, including significant injuries to both arms, according to her legal team, Stephen Ferrell and Luke Ihnen of Federal Defender Services of Eastern Tennessee.

The attorneys filed an emergency motion Friday in Davidson County Chancery Court, seeking to compel the Tennessee Department of Correction to preserve all evidence related to the botched execution. The motion detailed that Pike cried out and breathed loudly during the administration of two lethal doses of pentobarbital, at one point reportedly stating her arm felt like it was about to burst open. At least seven needles were used for IV access, with one bending at a 90-degree angle upon removal, the filing stated. Pentobarbital, described as a caustic and highly alkaline sedating medication that burns on contact, caused Pike's arms to swell, burn, and blister upon her arrival at a Nashville-area hospital.

Hospital staff are currently working to save Pike's life and to remove the pentobarbital from her system. The legal team highlighted that Pike had previously raised concerns about the lethal injection process, citing her thrombocytosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and small veins as factors that could lead to unnecessary pain, suffering, terror, and disgrace. The complications experienced during the execution attempt mirror many of the warnings her legal team had presented to the state and courts months prior.

Preserving the evidence is crucial for understanding the events, ensuring accountability, and protecting Pike's legal rights, her attorneys stated. Pike's legal team has called on Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to commute her death sentence.

Randy Spivey, an attorney with the Tennessee Office of the Post-Conviction Defender, described the execution attempt as not only inefficient but also cruel and torturous. He recounted that Pike was cooperative and attempted to assist officials in finding veins for the IV lines, repeatedly suggesting alternative placement sites. Spivey emphasized that Pike's greatest fear was not dying itself, but rather enduring a prolonged, painful, and traumatic death.

This incident marks a significant point of contention regarding the methods and humanity of capital punishment in Tennessee, particularly given Pike's status as the first woman the state had planned to execute in over two centuries.

Further details regarding the specific medical treatments Pike is receiving and the state's response to the evidence preservation motion are expected as the legal proceedings unfold.