A death row inmate is set to become the first woman executed by a US state in more than 200 years as her lawyers seek an unprecedented change to the procedure.
Christa Gail Pike, the only woman currently on death row in Tennessee, is scheduled to be executed on September 30, 2026.
If the sentence goes ahead, the 50-year-old will become the first woman put to death by the state in more than two centuries.
However, Pike’s legal team has launched a major challenge against the way Tennessee intends to carry out her death sentence.
Her lawyers have instead sought an alternative approach reportedly never successfully used to complete an execution in America.
Who is Christa Pike?
Pike has spent approximately 30 years on death row after being convicted of murdering 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.
Both women were attending the Knoxville Job Corps, a federally funded program offering education and vocational training to young people, when Slemmer was killed in January 1995.
Pike, who was 18 at the time, believed Slemmer was interested in her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp.
According to prosecutors, Pike, Shipp, and fellow student Shadolla Peterson lured Slemmer to an isolated area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus by pretending they wanted to resolve their disagreement.
Slemmer was then subjected to a prolonged and brutal attack before being killed.
Pike was arrested shortly afterwards and convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in 1996.
She was sentenced to death, while Shipp, who was 17 when the murder took place, received a life sentence.
Peterson cooperated with prosecutors and received probation after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact.
Pike later received an additional prison sentence after being convicted of attempting to strangle another inmate in 2001.
Tennessee prepares for a historic execution
The Tennessee Supreme Court set Pike’s execution date for September 30, 2026.
The last known female execution in the state took place in the early 19th century, when a woman was hanged after being convicted in connection with a murder.
Pike would also be the first person executed by Tennessee in the modern death penalty era for a crime committed between the ages of 18 and 20.
Her attorneys have repeatedly sought to have her sentence reduced to life imprisonment, pointing to her young age at the time of the murder, her mental health, and the abuse she reportedly experienced during childhood.
They maintain that Pike was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her lawyers argue that significant evidence concerning her background was not properly presented to jurors during her original trial.
However, her execution date remains in place unless the courts intervene or Tennessee Governor Bill Lee grants clemency.
Debate surrounding Pike’s death sentence
Pike’s approaching execution has reignited debate over whether the death penalty should be imposed on someone for a crime committed at the age of 18.
Her attorneys say the woman she is today is considerably different from the teenager convicted of Slemmer’s murder.
They have described Pike as remorseful and say she has undergone years of treatment for mental health conditions that were not diagnosed until after her trial.
Her supporters have also highlighted the difference between Pike’s sentence and those handed to the two other people connected to the crime.
However, supporters of Pike’s death sentence point to the extreme brutality of Slemmer’s murder and argue that the punishment should be carried out as ordered.
They have also cited Pike’s subsequent conviction for attempting to kill another prisoner while already on death row.
Unless Pike is granted clemency or succeeds in one of her remaining legal challenges, her execution will proceed as scheduled.
The battle to stop Pike’s execution
A special hearing concerning Pike’s execution was held in August 2026.
Senior Judge W. Mark Ward was appointed as special master to hear evidence and submit his findings to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Pike appeared virtually during the hearing as her attorneys challenged the procedure the state intends to use on September 30.
The legal team argued that carrying out the execution under Tennessee’s existing protocol could violate Pike’s constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
Attorneys representing the state rejected the claims and maintained that officials are equipped to carry out the sentence properly
Pike’s lawyers were also required to identify an alternative that could be implemented instead.
It was during this process that they proposed an approach reportedly never successfully used to carry out an execution in the United States.
Why her execution could go horribly wrong
Pike is currently scheduled to be executed by lethal injection using the drug pentobarbital.
However, she has thrombocytosis, a condition involving an unusually high number of platelets in the blood that can increase the risk of clotting and, in some circumstances, bleeding complications.
Her legal team also claims she has small and compromised veins, potentially making it difficult for prison staff to establish the intravenous access needed to administer the lethal drug.
They fear that if an IV becomes blocked or the drug leaks into the surrounding tissue, Pike could remain conscious while experiencing severe pain.
Her attorneys have warned that the process could cause serious complications, including fluid entering her lungs.
The challenge came after Tennessee’s attempted execution of Tony Carruthers in May 2026 was halted when officials were unable to establish the required backup IV line or insert a central line.
Governor Lee subsequently issued Carruthers a one-year reprieve.
Pike’s attorneys argue that the failed procedure raises serious questions about Tennessee’s ability to carry out her execution safely.
Her legal team has also raised concerns about how the process could affect her post-traumatic stress disorder.
Before the execution, Pike would be transferred from a women’s prison to Riverbend Maximum Security Institution, a predominantly male facility where Tennessee carries out death sentences.
Her lawyers argue that being restrained and handled by an all-male execution team could trigger memories of the s**ual and physical abuse she reportedly endured during childhood.
The never-before-used method proposed by lawyers
Rather than allowing officials to make repeated attempts to place standard IVs in Pike’s arms, her lawyers proposed beginning the lethal injection with a central venous line inserted by a suitably qualified medical professional.
A central line involves placing a catheter into a large vein in an area such as the neck, chest, or groin, allowing the lethal drug to be delivered closer to the heart.
Although central lines feature as a backup option in some execution protocols and have previously been attempted, the central-line-first approach sought by Pike’s team has reportedly never been successfully used to complete an execution in America.
Her attorneys also suggested using a smaller 23-gauge butterfly needle as another way of reducing the risks associated with accessing her veins.
As a second alternative, they proposed death by hanging, arguing that it could present a lower risk of prolonged suffering than lethal injection in Pike’s specific circumstances.
Hanging has previously been used in the United States, including during Tennessee’s last female execution, meaning it is the proposed central-line-first procedure that represents the unprecedented approach.
However, on August 21, Judge Ward concluded that Pike’s team had not proved Tennessee’s existing protocol created a substantial risk of severe pain or needless suffering.
His report also found that her attorneys had failed to demonstrate that either a central line or hanging would be a safer alternative.
Pike’s legal team was given until August 28 to submit objections, with the Tennessee Supreme Court having the final say on the challenge.
For now, Pike remains scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on September 30.
