Christa Pike's lawyers blamed Tennessee after she survived an execution attempt at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on 30 September 2026, alleging that concerns raised before the procedure had 'proved to be true'.
Pike had spent 30 years in prison following her conviction for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Her execution was scheduled for 10am local time, but the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit issued a stay that morning 'until further order of this court'. The US Supreme Court subsequently overturned the stay at the Tennessee Attorney General's Office's request.
