{
  "id": 11002135,
  "title": "Court halts Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in two centuries",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/court-halts-tennessees-first-execution-of-a-woman-in-two-centuries",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T17:40:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/appeals-court-halts-tennessees-first-execution-of-a-woman-in-two-centuries/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Wednesday, a US appeals court temporarily halted the execution of Christa Pike, a death row inmate in Tennessee, to consider her claim that her childhood sexual abuse allegations were not adequately addressed during her sentencing. The 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief suspension, though it did not specify a timeframe. Pike, who would be the only woman in modern US history to face execution for a crime committed as a teenager, was denied clemency by Governor Bill Lee. The Tennessee attorney general's office promptly requested a stay from the US Supreme Court, which denied the request, allowing the execution to proceed at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. At 50, Pike was 18 when she and her 17-year-old boyfriend and companion lured and killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995. The brutal murder, which involved pentagram carving and the removal of a skull fragment as a keepsake, garnered significant media attention. Pike and her co-defendants were convicted and sentenced in the following year. Currently, Pike is the sole woman on Tennessee's death row, and she was also convicted in 2001 of attempting to murder another inmate.",
  "summary": "Pike was also convicted in August 2001 of attempted first-degree murder.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/11002135.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in 200 years halted",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/tennessees-first-execution-of-a-woman-in-200-years-halted",
        "published": "2026-09-30T14:25:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Court halts Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in 200 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/court-halts-tennessees-first-execution-of-a-woman-in-200-years",
        "published": "2026-09-30T15:00:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Court stays execution of Tennessee woman shortly before lethal injection",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/court-stays-execution-of-tennessee-woman-shortly-before-lethal",
        "published": "2026-09-30T15:02:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "US Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in 200 years halted",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/us-tennessees-first-execution-of-a-woman-in-200-years-halted",
        "published": "2026-09-30T16:00:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Appeals court halts execution of Tennessee woman less than two hours before lethal injection",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/appeals-court-halts-execution-of-tennessee-woman-less-than-two-hours",
        "published": "2026-09-30T16:03:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "US appeals court pauses execution of Tennessee killer Christa Pike",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/us-appeals-court-pauses-execution-of-tennessee-killer-christa-pike",
        "published": "2026-09-30T16:28:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "PBS NewsHour",
        "title": "Court halts execution of Christa Gail Pike for a Tennessee murder she committed at age 18",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/court-halts-execution-of-christa-gail-pike-for-a-tennessee-murder-she",
        "published": "2026-09-30T18:01:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "Execution of lone woman on Tennessee's death row paused by federal appeals court",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/execution-of-lone-woman-on-tennessees-death-row-paused-by-federal",
        "published": "2026-09-30T19:16:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}