Christa Pike's Execution Halted by Court One Hour Before Scheduled Time

Christa Pike’s execution by lethal injection, scheduled for 11 am ET on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, was halted by a court just an hour before it was set to take place. Pike previously became the youngest woman in the United States to receive a death sentence at the age of 18 for the killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.

Execution Halted After Earlier Denials of Clemency

The scheduled event would have marked Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in 200 years. Prior to the court's decision to halt the execution, both the state government and the Supreme Court had refused requests for clemency.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a statement regarding the case prior to the halt, saying: "After deliberate consideration of Christa Gail Pike's request for clemency and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene."