Court halts execution of Christa Gail Pike for a Tennessee murder she committed at age 18
Also reported by Al Jazeera
Summary
A federal appeals court stopped the execution of Christa Gail Pike, who was convicted of a 1995 murder committed at age 18 in Tennessee. The court wants to review if her claims of childhood abuse and mental illness were properly considered before she was sentenced to death.Key Facts
- Christa Gail Pike was convicted for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer when Pike was 18 years old.
- Pike was scheduled to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years.
- The 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals halted her execution about an hour before it was to start.
- Pike alleges severe childhood sexual abuse and says she has mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and PTSD.
- Her boyfriend, who was 17 at the time, admitted to carving a pentagram into the victim’s body and was sentenced to life with parole.
- Pike’s supporters argue her age and mental condition should impact her death sentence.
- The victim’s mother supports the execution and has waited decades for it to happen.
- Tennessee’s attorney general appealed the stay to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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