Tennessee prepares to execute Christa Pike, first woman put to death by state in 200 years

Christa Pike, 50, is scheduled to be executed by the state of Tennessee on Wednesday, in what would be the state's first execution of a woman in 200 years.

Pike was convicted in the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a classmate at the Knoxville Job Corps. She was 18 years old at the time of the crime, making her one of the youngest women in the country to be sent to death row.

According to prosecutors, Pike feared that Slemmer was a romantic rival for the attention of her boyfriend, who was also convicted in the case. Prosecutors said Pike lured Slemmer to a secluded area, where she and her boyfriend tortured and killed her.

Clemency denied, appeal pending

Tennessee's governor has denied Pike's request for clemency, allowing the execution to move forward as scheduled. In response, Pike's legal team has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a stay of execution, seeking additional time for the court to weigh their arguments before Wednesday's scheduled date.

It remains unclear how the Supreme Court will rule on the request. Barring a stay, Pike's execution would mark a rare event in Tennessee's legal history, as the state has not put a woman to death in two centuries.

The case has drawn attention in part because of Pike's age at the time of the offense and the decades she has spent on death row since her conviction more than 30 years ago.