Tennessee is set to execute a woman for the first time in 200 years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Christa Pike, now 50, is set to be executed in Tennessee on Wednesday, marking the state's first execution of a woman in 200 years. Pike was 18 when she killed her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, out of jealousy 27 years ago. Prosecutors claimed Pike lured Slemmer to a secluded area and tortured her to death due to a perceived romantic rivalry, a crime fueled by Pike's untreated mental illness and a traumatic childhood marked by sexual abuse and neglect.

Pike and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, were convicted in 1995; Shipp received life with parole, while Pike faces the death penalty. The victim's mother, May Martinez, supports the execution, recalling her daughter's passion for the Special Olympics, roller skating, and computer work, emphasizing that Colleen never had the chance to mature.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has rejected clemency for Pike, and her legal team is seeking a Supreme Court stay based on her traumatic past. Pike's attorneys argue her mental illness and age should have been considered during her trial, noting the increasing rarity of death sentences for 18-year-olds in modern times.