Judge orders officials to preserve all evidence tied to Christa Pike’s botched execution

Judge tells Tennessee officials all items in execution room must be saved as Pike remains restrained in hospital bed

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A judge ordered Tennessee officials on Wednesday to preserve all evidence related to the botched execution attempt on convicted murderer Christa Pike, as it emerged that the state has refused pleas from medical staff to allow her to be unshackled from her hospital bed.

At a hearing in Nashville on Wednesday, judge I’Ashea Myles said: “Anything that was in the actual room” during the attempted execution a week ago must be preserved by the state, including all drugs, intravenous lines and tubing used in the death chamber.