Tennessee governor denies clemency for death row inmate Christa Pike

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee refused a clemency request for Christa Pike on September 29, 2026, one day before her scheduled execution. Pike has been on death row for over thirty years. She was convicted in 1995 for killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer when Pike was 18. Two other teenagers were involved, but only Pike received the death penalty. Her lawyers asked for her sentence to be changed to life in prison. They pointed to her history of childhood abuse and psychological trauma. The Tennessee Supreme Court had already refused to delay the execution. If carried out, Pike will be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. The victim's mother supported the execution going ahead.