Tennessee Schedules First Execution Of A Woman In 200 Years
Tennessee plans to execute Christa Pike, 50, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in a case that would mark the state's first execution of a woman in roughly 200 years.[1]
Gov. Bill Lee denied Pike's request for clemency on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026.[1] Pike's lawyers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the execution, saying she suffered severe childhood abuse and has persistent mental illness.[1]
Pike was 18 when she and her then-boyfriend killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville in 1995.[1] She was convicted and later sentenced to death.[1]
The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to issue a stay as legal filings and last-ditch appeals move through the courts, and the high court's decision will determine whether Tennessee carries out the sentence.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Christa Pike, now 50, is scheduled for execution in Tennessee on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
- Pike was 18 when she and her boyfriend killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville in 1995.
- On Monday, September 28, 2026, Gov. Bill Lee denied Pike's clemency request.
- Pike's attorneys have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the execution, citing severe childhood abuse and mental illness.
- The execution would be Tennessee's first of a woman in roughly 200 years.
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