US Supreme Court allows execution of Christa Pike to go ahead
The death by lethal injection was scheduled to happen earlier on Wednesday before a lower court paused the execution.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"Tennessee's desire to expedite Pike's execution by a few days or even weeks cannot outweigh her 'fundamental interest in [her] own life.'"
— Sonia Sotomayor , Politician
"I was a mentally ill 18-year-old kid. It took me numerous years to even realise the gravity of what I'd done."
— Christa Pike , Other
Key People
Brett Kavanaugh is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Christa Pike is a woman on death row in Tennessee, convicted of murder in 1995.
Colleen Slemmer was a victim of a brutal murder in 1995.
Elena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Ketanji Brown Jackson is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Sonia Sotomayor is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Tadaryl Shipp was Christa Pike's boyfriend at the time of the murder.
All Coverage
The death by lethal injection was scheduled to happen earlier on Wednesday before a lower court paused the execution.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
US Supreme Court denies Christa Pike's last-ditch bid to halt execution
The Tennessee inmate has been awaiting execution since she was sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of a teenage classmate.
September 29, 2026 at 11:39 PMWatch: The many questions raised by the failed execution of Christa Pike
Her legal team filed an emergency motion to halt the convicted murderer's execution as it was happening.
October 1, 2026 at 06:14 AMExecution of US murderer Christa Pike halted shortly before it was due to happen
Pike was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer.
September 30, 2026 at 03:29 PMTennessee prison chief to resign after Christa Pike's failed execution
Pike's lawyers said the failure "goes far beyond any one person". Pike is in critical condition after surviving two lethal injections.
October 3, 2026 at 05:48 PMWatch: Why was the US execution of Christa Pike halted?
The 50-year-old Tennessee woman was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer.
September 30, 2026 at 08:19 PMTennessee governor rejects clemency bid for Christa Pike as execution looms
If the execution proceeds, Pike would be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.
September 28, 2026 at 10:27 PM