What to know about Christa Pike, first woman to be executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years
Christa Pike is scheduled for execution in Tennessee, marking the first time a woman will be executed in the state in over 200 years. Her case has drawn international criticism regarding her history of childhood abuse and the impact of long-term isolation on death row.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing debates regarding capital punishment, the treatment of female inmates, and the consideration of mental health and trauma in sentencing.
Tennessee is set to execute Christa Pike, the only woman on its death row, by lethal injection on Wednesday. If the procedure happens as scheduled, Pike would also become the only woman executed in the state in the last 200 years."I am not afraid to die. I'm only nervous about the process," wrote Pike, in a letter she penned before Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee denied her clemency petition on Monday, clearing the way for her execution to take place. Thanking those who rallied for the governor to intervene and halt the plan, Pike said she was "at peace," regardless of the outcome of her bid. CBS News obtained a copy of the letter from her spiritual adviser, Rev. Mikey Noechel, along with a copy of another note Noechel received from Pike that contained handwritten lines from the poem "To ——" by Edgar Allan Poe.
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