Christa Pike Execution Attempt: What We Know

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On Sept. 30, 2026, Tennessee began the execution of Christa Pike at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. It was not completed. The Tennessee Department of Correction says she was taken to an off-site medical facility; her attorneys say they have not been told her condition. As of 1 a.m. CT, Oct. 1.

What's confirmed

1. Sept. 28Gov. Bill Lee denied clemency. Sept. 29: the U.S. Supreme Court denied her stay request and petition. Governor's statement; SCOTUS docket 26-5696
2. Sept. 30, about 9 a.m. CTa Sixth Circuit panel stayed the execution, 2-1, about an hour before its 10 a.m. time, to "adequately address and resolve" her pending filing. AP; Nashville Banner; SCOTUS No. 26A428
3. About 5:50 p.m. CTthe U.S. Supreme Court granted Tennessee's application and vacated the stay. The order gives no reasons. Justice Sotomayor dissented, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, writing that the decision "unnecessarily prevents that court from giving due consideration to Pike's claim." Nelsen v. Pike, No. 26A428; Nashville Banner
4. That evening the State began the execution. Media witnesses and her attorneys say she was given two doses of pentobarbital. AP; Nashville Banner; CBS News
5. For long stretches a curtain was closed between the witnesses and the room. At 8:53 p.m. the microphone was cut and witnesses were told to leave; they reported she could still be heard snoring. AP; Nashville Banner; Tennessee Lookout
6. After 11 p.m., the Department of Correction said it "followed every step" of its protocol, that the protocol "does not allow for additional procedures," and that "Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility." TDOC statement via Tennessee Lookout; Nashville Banner; CBS News
7. Her attorneys: "Christa is being treated at a nearby hospital. We have not been informed as to her condition." They filed emergency motions in the Tennessee Supreme Court and federal courts to halt the execution and order life-saving care. CBS News; WVLT; AP
8. Gov. Lee ordered "a comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred" and said the remaining scheduled execution will not be carried out this year. AP; ABC News; WVLT
9. In May 2026, Tennessee called off the execution of Tony Carruthers after an IV line could not be placed. In 2022 the State halted an execution and acknowledged its drugs had not been properly tested; it later switched to a single drug. AP; Nashville Banner
10. Colleen Slemmer was 19. She loved roller skating, volunteered with the Special Olympics and was training for a career in computers. Christa Pike, then 18, took part in her murder in Knoxville in January 1995, was convicted in March 1996 and was sentenced to death at 20. AP; WVLT; Tenn. Supreme Court
11. Colleen's mother, May Martinez, traveled from Florida to witness the execution and has long said she wants the sentence carried out. The AP could not immediately reach her afterward. AP; Nashville Banner

What we don't know

• Her condition. Officials have not released it.
• Why the execution was not completed. The State has not said. Her attorneys allege problems with the process; the Department of Correction says it followed its protocol.
• How the courts will rule on the emergency motions. No ruling has been reported.

What happens next

No next step has been announced. The death warrant was set to expire at midnight Sept. 30, by multiple reports. We will update this page when officials or the courts put more on the record.

Chapters

1. 0:00What happened
2. 0:45The day
3. 2:02The attempt
4. 3:01Officials
5. 5:01Colleen
6. 6:10Where it stands

Sources

1. Supreme Court, Nelsen v. Pike, No. 26A428 Primary recordsupremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a428_4f15.pdf
2. AP Reportinghuffpost.com/entry/ap-us-tennessee-execution_n_6abd1bbee4b0e84f837c8db0
3. Nashville Banner Reportingnashvillebanner.com/2026/09/30/christa-pike-failed-execution-tennessee-pentobarbital/
4. Tennessee Lookout Reportingtennesseelookout.com/2026/09/30/us-supreme-court-allows-execution-of-tennessee-woman-on-death-row-to-proceed/
5. CBS News Reportingcbsnews.com/news/what-to-know-christa-pike-first-woman-executed-tennessee-200-years/
6. WVLT Reportingwvlt.tv/2026/10/01/tennessees-gov-lee-orders-comprehensive-review-christa-pikes-attempted-execution-calls-off-remaining-execution/
7. Earlier video, the case and the clemency fight Reportingyoutu.be/iURnX2Z4g0E
8. Corrections: corrections@undercurrentdaily.com
9. Newsletter Reportingundercurrentdaily.substack.com

Spot an error? Email corrections@undercurrentdaily.com. See our corrections policy. Have information about this case? Contact the investigating agency first.

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