Christa Pike's attorneys seek preservation of evidence after failed execution

Christa Pike's attorneys asked a state court Friday to order Tennessee's department of correction to preserve all evidence from her failed execution. The request concerns evidence from the state's unsuccessful attempt to carry out her death sentence.

In a court filing Friday, her attorneys said Pike remained hospitalized and unconscious, with a machine helping her breathe. Their account described continued hospitalization and the need for breathing support after the failed execution in Tennessee.

The attorneys said hospital staff were working to save Pike's life and clear the pentobarbital she had been administered from her system as of late Thursday.

In the court filing, Pike's attorneys said they believed problems with intravenous lines caused the pentobarbital to enter her body instead of her bloodstream.

Tennessee administered two doses of the drug to Pike on Wednesday in its failed attempt to execute her.

Governor Bill Lee has ordered a third-party investigation into the failed execution and has paused executions in Tennessee.