Tennessee Set To Execute Woman For First Time In 200 Years

Tennessee Woman Faces Execution

Tennessee is scheduled to execute Christa Pike on Wednesday, September 30, in what would be the state’s first execution of a woman in more than 200 years. Her fate now rests with the U.S. Supreme Court after Gov. Bill Lee declined to intervene and stop the execution.

Christa Pike’s Death Sentence

Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow student at Knoxville Job Corps. Pike was 18 years old when Slemmer was killed. Prosecutors said Pike and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, lured Slemmer to an isolated area, where she was beaten and killed. Shipp, who was 17 at the time, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Appeals For Clemency

Pike’s attorneys asked Gov. Lee to commute her death sentence to life in prison without parole. They argued that important information about Pike’s childhood abuse, neglect and mental health history was not adequately presented when she was sentenced to death.

According to documents filed in the clemency proceedings, Pike experienced severe abuse and neglect during her childhood. Her attorneys have argued that her age at the time of the crime and her traumatic upbringing should be considered before the state carries out the sentence. Lee rejected Pike’s request for clemency on September 28, saying he had reviewed the case and did not plan to intervene.

Supreme Court Considers Stay

With the governor declining to stop the execution, Pike’s attorneys have turned to the federal courts. Her legal team has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a stay of execution. The Supreme Court docket shows that Pike’s request was submitted to Justice Brett Kavanaugh on September 25. The Tennessee Supreme Court previously rejected a request to delay the execution.

Pike’s attorneys have also challenged Tennessee’s execution procedures, arguing that carrying out the sentence under the circumstances would violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

First Woman Executed By Tennessee Since 1820

If the execution proceeds, Pike would become the first woman executed by Tennessee since 1820. Executions of women remain uncommon in the United States. Pike’s case has received renewed attention because she was 18 when Slemmer was killed and because of the evidence surrounding her childhood and background. Her attorneys have continued arguing that those circumstances warrant a sentence other than death.

Execution Scheduled For Wednesday

Tennessee has scheduled Pike’s execution for 10 a.m. Central time on September 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Whether the execution takes place will depend on the outcome of Pike’s request for a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court.