Christa Pike, the Tennessee death row inmate who survived a botched lethal injection last month, issued her first public statement on Friday detailing unrelenting pain since the September 30 attempt.

In the 460-word statement released through her attorneys, the 50-year-old said she woke up confused in a hospital days after the procedure. "There hasn't been a moment since that night when I haven't been in pain," Pike wrote. "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."

Pike entered the execution chamber at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution prepared to die after being sentenced for the 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. She and accomplices beat and killed Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps student. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime.

Witnesses reported that after two doses of pentobarbital, Pike continued breathing and made snoring sounds for over an hour. She complained of arm pain during the process. Officials halted the procedure and transported her to a hospital in critical condition. She is the only known U.S. inmate to survive an execution attempt after receiving lethal injection drugs.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ordered a pause on all executions through the end of the year and called for a third-party review. Prison Commissioner Frank Strada resigned amid the fallout. Pike's attorneys have criticized the state's handling of the procedure, including difficulties establishing intravenous access.

Pike remains in state custody at a rehabilitation center. Her statement expressed gratitude for support while noting the incompetence that led to her current situation. She also referenced thinking of the victim's family.

The case has renewed scrutiny of lethal injection protocols nationwide, with at least 64 documented botched executions since 1982 according to tracking data. Tennessee had not executed a woman in more than 200 years prior to the attempt.