A judge has directed Tennessee authorities to hold onto all evidence connected to the failed execution attempt of death row inmate Christa Pike, according to The Guardian. The order came as Pike's legal team appeared before a state judge, CNN and The New York Times reported.
Lawyers for Pike say she was awake and speaking after the execution did not go as planned, the BBC reported. NBC News also reported that the state must preserve evidence tied to the failed attempt.
The court appearances and the preservation order mark the latest stage in the case, which has drawn coverage from several national outlets. The exact nature of what went wrong during the attempt has not been detailed in the reporting available.
Pike is a death row inmate in Tennessee. Her attorneys have been pressing the case in court since the execution attempt, with hearings held before a Tennessee judge, according to CNN and The New York Times.
The judge's instruction that the state keep all related evidence suggests the material could figure in further legal proceedings. The Guardian's report did not specify what items the order covers or how long the state must retain them.
What to watch next: whether Pike's attorneys file additional motions or seek a fuller account of the failed attempt, and how Tennessee officials respond to the preservation order.
