Christa Pike’s aunt believes her niece survived a failed lethal injection because God wants her to live, and says Tennessee officials should not attempt to execute her again.
Carrie Ross, who helped raise Pike, said her survival showed that control of her fate now rested with God rather than the Tennessee Department of Correction.
“When God puts his hand on someone, God is in control. Not the Department of Correction, not us, but God,” Ms Ross told the Daily Mail.
Ms Ross said Pike had gone willingly to the execution and that forcing her to endure another attempt would be inhumane. She said a sentence of life without the possibility of parole would be a fair outcome.
She stressed that she was not excusing the killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, whom Pike killed in 1995.
Pike remains in critical condition after two injections failed to kill her. She is suffering from pneumonia and is apparently unable to move her arms, although her lawyers say she is able to speak.
Her lawyers said she asked, “Where am I and who are you?” when she woke on Tuesday.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has suspended all executions in the state while the botched injection is reviewed.
During a hearing on Wednesday, a Tennessee court ordered the state to preserve any evidence that could be relevant to Pike’s case. Ms Ross said her niece was now in God’s hands.
