Execution of first woman in Tennessee in 200 years halted with an hour to go

The scheduled execution of Christa Pike, a 50-year-old death row inmate in Tennessee, was halted approximately one hour before it was set to take place. Following the stay, reports indicated that Pike was hospitalized due to what legal representatives described as a failed execution process. If carried out, the execution would have marked the first time a woman had been put to death in Tennessee in 200 years.

Pike was originally sentenced for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, which occurred when Pike was 18 years old. The crime took place at a job training camp for young people, where Pike and her boyfriend beat the victim to death.