Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19 year old classmate Colleen Slemmer, a crime committed when Pike was 18. The proceeding would have been the first execution of a woman in Tennessee in over 200 years. The US Supreme Court had cleared the path for the execution earlier on Sept. 30 by vacating a Sixth Circuit stay that was reviewing whether Pike's history of childhood sexual abuse and rape was properly considered during sentencing.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Tennessee Fails to Execute First Woman in 200 Years
US Politics20 days ago
A federal court filing reveals that Christa Pike remains alive and breathing after Tennessee officials failed to complete her execution by lethal injection on Wednesday. Attorneys for the 50 year old inmate report she did not lose consciousness and maintained a heartbeat after being administered 2 doses of pentobarbital. Media witnesses observed Pike snoring more than 40 minutes after the final injection, after which she was removed from the chamber and hospitalized for treatment.
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