Federal Court Halts Christa Pike's Execution Hours Before Scheduled Lethal Injection
The execution of Christa Pike, Tennessee’s only female death row inmate, was halted approximately one hour before it was scheduled to begin on September 30, 2026. A federal appeals court issued a stay to review whether her history of childhood sexual abuse was adequately considered during sentencing. Pike, now 50, was convicted in 1996 for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. If the stay is overturned, Pike would become the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years. The case has drawn intense debate regarding the constitutionality of executing individuals with severe trauma histories and those who committed crimes at age 18.