Christa Pike breaks silence after botched execution: ‘I am searching for meaning in what happened to me’

Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate who survived a botched execution, has broken her silence for the first time since the failed attempt.The 50-year-old released a lengthy statement Friday to WBIR in Knoxville, as dictated to her attorney.“One month ago on September 30, I walked into the execution chamber at Riverbend men’s prison prepared to die. I had made my peace,” Pike said. “I had told the people who loved me, supported me and stood by me through the years I was grateful for them. I had also told the people in the room and who were there to witness my execution that I was leaving them in loving kindness.”Pike continued: “Several days later I woke up alone in a hospital confused and in pain. There hasn't been a moment since that night when I haven't been in pain. My body hurts. My arms hurt. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still struggle to speak. And the pain isn't just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul.”More follows