The United States Supreme Court has removed a last-minute obstacle to the execution of Christa Pike, permitting Tennessee to carry out the nation’s first execution of a woman in 200 years. The high court vacated a stay that had been granted earlier on Wednesday by a federal appeals court.
Pike, who was convicted of murder three decades ago, was originally scheduled to be put to death via lethal injection on Wednesday morning. However, proceedings were halted hours before the scheduled time when a federal appeals court issued a stay. In a 2-1 decision, that lower court determined the delay was warranted to evaluate whether allegations Pike made regarding childhood sexual abuse had been adequately considered during her original sentencing.
Despite the legal intervention, neither the state governor nor the Supreme Court had previously granted clemency, leaving the execution on track once the highest court intervened to overturn the stay.
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