US woman on death row who survived 2 lethal injections now conscious & speaking in 'unprecedented' recovery

The U.S. woman who survived her failed execution attempt with two lethal injections is now conscious, speaking, and receiving medical attention.

According to NBC News, her lawyers said in a media statement that Christa Gail Pike, 50, has been under medical care while remaining handcuffed and shackled in hospital.

Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital during her execution on Sep. 30, which her lawyers claim resulted in significant injuries to her arms.

Her attorneys said that they expect a "long recovery", and thanked Pike's medical team as well as the "thousands from all over the world who sent messages offering prayers and support for [her]."

Both her legal team and criminology experts have described her survival and recovery as "unprecedented", reported the BBC.

She is believed to be the only person to have ever survived a lethal injection.

While there were other cases in which condemned prisoners survived lethal injections, executioners were unable to inject any substance into the prisoners' veins in those instances, according to an expert who spoke to the BBC.

A Tennessee governor called for an independent review to the botched execution in response, and halted all remaining executions for the rest of the year.

The incident also led to the resignation of the Tennessee prison chief, reported NBC News.

The prison chief stated that he believed that the execution process was carried out "in accordance with the established protocol", but nevertheless decided to step down for the "best interest of Tennesseans".

Prison officials carried out the ultimately-botched execution for Pike's sentence for committing a murder in 1995.

Who is Pike?

Pike and her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp tortured and murdered one Colleen Slemmer for more than 30 minutes, and killed her by smashing her head with a block of asphalt.

Pike then kept a piece of Slemmer's skull.

According to People, Shipp was sentenced to life imprisonment while another friend who acted as a lookout received a lighter sentence of 460 days' imprisonment, after she agreed to a plea deal in exchange for testifying against them.

Pike was the first woman in Tennessee to be given the death penalty in over 200 years.

NBC News reported that May Martinez, the mother of the victim, said that the failed execution was a "mess".

Martinez has insisted that Pike ought to remain on death row.

According to the BBC, the authorities have not yet confirmed whether they will make another execution attempt.