Judge Orders Preservation of Evidence in Christa Pike Execution Case

<img alt="Tennessee Assistant Attorney General John W. Ayers, left, presents arguments during a court hearing, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn., as attorneys for Christa Pike request the Tennessee Department of Corrections to preserve all evidence related to her failed execution." src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3959x2639+0+0/resize/3959x2639!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F04%2F44%2Ffa719b234310a4364d8e8132d9c4%2Fap26280607293621.jpg" /><p>A week after the failed execution, Christa Pike is awake but reported to be angry and confused. Her attorneys stated that the hearing on October 7, 2026, was focused on the issue of transparency regarding the preservation of evidence.</p><p>(Image credit: George Walker IV)</p><img src="https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5993628" />