THE CHRISTA PIKE EXECUTION: WHAT WENT WRONG?

On September 30, 2026, Tennessee was set to execute Christa Pike at 10 a.m. About an hour before, a federal appeals court stopped it. That evening the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the stay, Tennessee tried again, and the execution did not succeed: witnesses and her lawyers said Pike was still alive after two doses, and she was taken to a hospital. Governor Bill Lee ordered a third-party review and called off the state's only other execution this year. This is the full story: Colleen Slemmer, the night of January 12, 1995, the 1996 trial, thirty years on death row, and the day it all turned. After everything that happened, should Tennessee try again? Tell us in the comments. Christa Pike has said she was a mentally ill 18-year-old; Colleen's mother says the sentence must stand. This video reflects reporting as of October 1, 2026, and the situation may change. CHAPTERS 0:00 The morning it stopped 2:53 Colleen 4:32 The two girls 5:50 January 12, 1995 8:07 The trial 10:46 Thirty years 13:44 The last week 18:05 The night it failed This video discusses a violent crime against a young woman and allegations of childhood abuse. No images of the victim's injuries are shown. CREDITS News footage: WBIR (Knoxville) and WKRN (Nashville), as credited on screen. Used for news reporting and commentary. Photographs of Colleen Slemmer and Christa Pike are shown as they appeared in the news reports credited above. Illustrative stock footage: Pexels. Some scenes are illustrative. Music: original score. Narration: AI voice. SOURCES Associated Press (stay of execution, September 30, 2026); Nashville Banner, WSMV, WBIR, WKRN, NewsChannel 5, NBC News, CBS News, Axios Nashville (court orders, the attempted execution, the governor's review, clemency, family statements); Wikipedia and the Tennessee Department of Correction (case timeline); IACHR Resolution 95/2020. #ChristaPike #TrueCrime #ColleenSlemmer #DeathRow #TrueCrimeDocumentary