Federal Court Stays Execution of Christa Gail Pike, Only Woman on Tennessee Death Row
Christa Gail Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, had her execution stayed by a federal court on Wednesday morning. In a letter written prior to the stay, Pike expressed that she was not afraid to die, though she…
Lima, OH, September 30, 2026 —
The execution of Christa Gail Pike, the sole woman currently on Tennessee’s death row, has been halted following a decision by a federal court on Wednesday morning. The court issued a stay of execution, preventing the scheduled proceedings.
Pike was convicted in 1996 for a murder that occurred in 1995. She has remained the only woman under a death sentence in the state of Tennessee.
In a statement penned prior to the issuance of the stay, Pike reportedly conveyed her state of mind regarding her impending execution. She expressed that she was not fearful of dying but acknowledged feeling nervous about the procedural aspects of the execution itself. Specific details regarding the murder for which she was convicted were not provided in the information available.
The exact federal court that issued the stay was not immediately specified, nor were the grounds for the legal intervention. The development means that Pike’s execution will not proceed as planned while legal reviews continue. Further details regarding the case, the timeline of the conviction, and the specifics of the stay are pending.
Story summarized from the original created by Camruinn Morgan-Rumsey, Gray News staff, Amanda Alvarado on www.hometownstations.com, see more information here.
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