Tennessee Execution Stayed Hours Before Scheduled Death
Federal appeals court halts execution of female killer Christa Pike hours before her scheduled death in Tennessee.
2 min read
Just over an hour before her scheduled execution, Christa Pike, the first woman to be sentenced to death in Tennessee in more than 200 years, was granted a stay by a federal appeals court. The order came as witnesses had already gathered at the Nashville prison for the event, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle over her death sentence.
A Historic Stay
Christa Pike, now 50, was set to be executed by lethal injection at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. The execution was for the torture and murder of her University of Tennessee classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in 1995. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit temporarily halted the death sentence to review whether her claims of childhood sexual abuse and rape were properly considered during her sentencing.
Legal Battle Continues
The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift the stay, arguing that the courts are dealing with a technical issue. Pike’s lawyers have long argued that she suffered severe childhood abuse and undiagnosed mental illnesses at the time of the murder, which were not presented to the jury during her trial. Pike also requested that her execution team be all women to avoid being traumatized by the presence of men in her final moments.
A Troubled History
Pike’s 32-year stay on death row has not been without incident. She received an additional 25 years after being convicted of attempting to murder a fellow inmate in 2001. In 2012, a prison escape plot was thwarted involving a corrections officer and a personal trainer. The last woman executed in Tennessee was Martin Eve in 1820.
Legal and Emotional Struggles
Pike’s legal team has argued that her childhood abuse and mental health issues were not adequately addressed during her original trial. The appeals process now hinges on whether these factors were properly considered, raising questions about the fairness of her original conviction and sentence.
Source: Breitbart
