Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, USA, who became a hot topic after surviving the administration of the lethal drug pentobarbital twice.

The first thing she said after regaining consciousness was asking, "Where am I?"

Her attorneys explained that Pike wants to know what on earth happened and is in a state of great anger and confusion.

They added that she also asked about her legal team and the victim's family.

Following the botched execution, the court ordered the preservation of all evidence, including the drugs used at the time.

It added that everything must be retained and preserved, including the actual drugs used, along with all related packaging labels and package inserts.

Her legal team argues that the incident violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the principle against double jeopardy, and they are demanding that Pike's death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment without parole.

Pike was sentenced to death for murdering 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer along with her boyfriend in 1995 when she was 18 years old, and "Satan worship" symbols were reportedly found on the victim's body at the time of the crime.

After serving about 30 years and becoming subject to execution this time, Pike was administered the lethal injection twice on September 30 at a prison in Nashville, Tennessee, but survived and was transported by ambulance for medical treatment.

Following Pike's survival, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee ordered a comprehensive third-party investigation to ascertain the facts and announced that he would suspend additional executions scheduled for this year.

Frank Strada, the state commissioner of correction responsible for executions, announced his resignation.

The repercussions of the incident are spreading across the United States.

In Texas, the legal team of a man facing execution for killing a convenience store clerk requested a halt to the execution.

They expressed concern that the same lethal drug used on Pike is scheduled to be used, which could lead to the same result.

Due to the unprecedented botched execution, controversy has reignited over the appropriateness of using the lethal drug pentobarbital, which was re-approved by the second Trump administration last April.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News