Story summary
On September 28, 2023, Christa Pike, a woman sentenced to death for murdering her classmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995 when she was 18 years old, is set to be executed by lethal injection. This execution will mark the first time Tennessee has put a female inmate to death in over 200 years. Pike and her boyfriend tortured and killed Slemmer out of jealousy; the case gained widespread attention due to its brutality and the carving of a satanic symbol into Slemmer's body.
Pike does not deny her guilt but argues that her childhood history of sexual abuse and neglect, as well as her mental health issues, should have prevented a death sentence. Her attorneys filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court for clemency on grounds related to PTSD and potential psychological trauma from lethal injection procedures. However, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee rejected Pike’s request for clemency.
Slemmer's mother has been campaigning for decades for Pike’s execution to proceed. The case highlights ongoing debates about capital punishment in the United States, particularly concerning juveniles and those with documented histories of abuse and mental health conditions. Only 18 women have been executed since the 1970s compared to 1,663 men, underscoring the rarity and controversial nature of female executions in modern American history.
Written for “Tennessee Woman Execution” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 137 other(s) covering the same event.
Tennessee failed to execute the lone woman on its death row after two lethal injections.
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Tennessee → fail → injections
Undecided voters weigh their options ahead of next month’s elections.
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voters → weigh → elections
And details emerge from inside the near-catastrophic Flydubai flight bound for Israel.
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details → emerge → Israel
Tennessee fails to execute inmate after 2 lethal injections
Christa Pike hospitalized after surviving lethal injections
Tennessee failed to execute the lone woman on its death row as planned yesterday, even after twice injecting her with a lethal drug.
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Tennessee → fail → drug
Attorneys for Christa Pike said last night that she was being treated at a hospital, but they did not know her condition.
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they → say → condition
Pike, 50, was convicted of murdering a classmate in 1995.
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Pike → convict → 1995
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day.
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This → start → day
Journalists who witnessed the attempted execution described snoring and complaints from Pike about pain.
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who → witness → pain
At times, the curtain was closed and they could only hear sounds.
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they → close → sounds
Pike was heard saying, “My arm feels like it’s about to burst open,” according to one journalist.
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it → hear → journalist
In an interview with NBC News this morning, the mother of victim Colleen Slemmer, May Martinez, described the attempt as “a mess.”
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mother → describe → mess
Gov. Bill Lee ordered a review of the failed execution, the second in Tennessee this year.
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Lee → order → Tennessee
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court stepped in to allow the state to put Pike to death, overturning a lower court ruling that had halted the move.
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that → step → move
She was set to be the first female in more than 200 years that the state had put to death, according to historical records.
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state → set → records
Here’s what else to know about Pike’s case.
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Here → ’ → case
Cornell student’s 2024 statement to police reveals new details about night of alleged rape
The Cornell student who alleged in a lawsuit that she was raped and plied with drugs at a frat house in 2024 described the incident to police in a sworn statement, according to the document, which was obtained by NBC News.
“I would say that it was the most intoxicated I’ve ever been in my life,” she told police.
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she → reveal → police
“I felt like I was unable to make any decisions.”
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I → feel → decisions
Her statement mirrored many of the allegations in the lawsuit.
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statement → mirror → lawsuit
She described going to the Chi Phi fraternity house.
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She → describe → house
There, a friend asked whether she was interested in a threesome, which she said she agreed to.
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she → ask → which
At one point during the night, “multiple men walked into the room,” and, she told police, “I was instantly horrified.”
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I → walk → police
She ran across the room to hide under the covers of another bed, the statement said, which she said felt like the only option because they were standing between her and the exit.
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they → run → her
How 16 undecided voters are weighing their 2026 election options
In a national NBC News poll, 5% of voters said they weren’t sure which party they wanted to see controlling Congress after this year’s elections.
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they → weigh → elections
Our reporters spoke with 16 of these undecided voters to understand what’s important to them as they decide who to elect this fall.
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they → speak → who
💵 Costs dominate:
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Costs → dominate → ?
Almost every voter said high costs are top of mind, including the price of medicine, groceries and gas.
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costs → say → medicine
“I’m eating less food because I can only afford so much,” one said.
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one → eat → much
Voters feel little loyalty to either party — and many of them said that’s in part because they aren’t sure either understands what’s important to them.
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what → feel → them
Several voters — including those who backed Trump in 2024 — voiced concerns about his handling of the economy and the Iran war.
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who → include → economy
James Talarico once took a vow to refuse campaign donations from people representing industries tied to coal, oil or natural gas.
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Talarico → take → coal
Now, locked in a high-stakes contest for a Senate seat in Texas, he has drifted from that promise.
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he → lock → promise
Screaming, panicking, blood: Passengers detail horrifying Israel-bound flight
A pilot stabbed his co-pilot aboard a plane headed to Israel yesterday and may have tried to crash the aircraft with 174 people on board, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
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Netanyahu → scream → board
The pilot who initiated the attack is an Omani citizen and is being interrogated in Saudi Arabia, he added.
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he → initiate → Arabia
Israeli officials also praised the stabbed pilot, identified as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, for his actions in opening the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to rush in, secure the cockpit and prevent the plane from crashing.
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passengers → praise → plane
“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu said.
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Netanyahu → save → citizens
“I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery.
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I → wish → recovery
“I grabbed the attacker, and choked him, pulled him out first,” passenger Yaniv Hayun told Netanyahu in a face-to-face meeting, according to the Israeli government press office.
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Hayun → grab → office
Hayun, a plumber, said he entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker.
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he → say → attacker
“I started pulling the controls.”
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I → start → controls
Hayun told Netanyahu that he took actions based on what he had seen on a TV show and helped stabilize the plane.
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he → tell → plane
…and 21 more, not listed.
The Aporia
