Appeals court halts execution of Tennessee woman less than two hours before lethal injection
Summary
A US appeals court stopped the execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee just before it was set to begin. The court wants to review claims that Pike’s history of severe sexual abuse was not fully considered during her sentencing.Key Facts
- Christa Pike was scheduled to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years.
- Pike was convicted of killing her 19-year-old classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in 1995 when Pike was 18.
- The appeals court issued a temporary halt to the execution to examine whether Pike’s past sexual abuse and mental health issues were properly considered.
- Pike’s lawyers argue her sentence should account for her young age, mental illness, and abuse history.
- The Tennessee governor denied clemency for Pike before the stay was issued.
- The US Supreme Court had denied Pike’s request to stop the execution earlier.
- Slemmer’s family supports carrying out the execution and had prepared to witness it.
- The case gained attention partly due to crime elements linked to “satanic panic” fears from past decades.
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