APTOPIX Tennessee Execution
Kathleen Walter prays in the area reserved for people opposed to the death penalty outside Riverbend Maximum Security Institution before the planned execution of Christa Pike, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.
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Tennessee's execution of Christa Gail Pike has been halted just an hour before it was set to begin. A federal appeals court wants to review whether her claims of childhood abuse were fully considered at sentencing. Tennessee's attorney general is appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court and the execution could still take place. Pike, who was 18 at the time of the killing, was convicted of murdering a classmate in 1995. This would have been Tennessee's first execution of a woman in over 200 years. Pike admits to the crime but argues her age and mental illness should be considered.
