In 46 days, Christa Pike will be executed — but her lawyers are asking for her to be hanged

Tonight, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row is challenging the state’s execution protocols. Attorneys for Christa Pike are requesting an alternative method of execution by hanging.  Tennessee has a date, September 30th, 2026. On that day, the state plans to execute Christa Pike.

 She is the only woman on death row in Tennessee, but here is the twist. Her lawyers are not fighting to save her life anymore. They are fighting over how she dies. That single detail is enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Court records show her legal team is not asking for freedom. They are asking for a different method of death.

 Some of it involves an old, forgotten form of execution most people believe no longer exists in this country. Her lawyers point to a rare blood disorder. They say her veins may not cooperate. They say the standard method could go wrong. And then there is the doctor. The same man set to oversee her execution has a history.

 A history her legal team says raises serious questions. What they uncovered about him is impossible to believe. Before we get into it, welcome back to the channel. If you are new here, this is a case update, not the full story. Stay until the end. You will not want to miss this one. Quick recap for anyone new here. Colleen Slemmer was a Job Corps trainee in Knoxville, Tennessee.

On January 12th, 1995, she was murdered in a remote wooded area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus. She was just 20 years old. We covered her full story and the crime itself in our original video on this case. If you have not seen it, the link is below. Now, let’s get into the update. As for Christa Pike, here is a quick refresher.

 In 1996, she was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. At the time, she became the youngest woman on death row in the entire United States. She did not stay out of trouble behind bars, either. On August 24th, 2001, while still incarcerated, Pike was convicted of attempted first-degree murder. That conviction came after she assaulted a fellow inmate.

 Now, three decades later, her case is back in the spotlight. And this time, it is not about guilt. In January of 2026, Christa Pike made her move. According to court records, she filed a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee. Her target was the state’s lethal injection protocol itself. Her argument centered on a medical condition called thrombocytosis.

It is a rare blood disorder. Her lawyers said it makes finding a usable vein extremely difficult. In some cases, they argued, it could make the process nearly impossible. But the lawsuit did not stop there. Her legal team also raised her mental health. They pointed to post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from abuse she suffered as a child.

 Their argument was chilling in its simplicity. If the execution team struggled to find a vein, the delay itself could cause severe psychological torture. Pike would be conscious, aware, trapped in the moment, waiting. Despite the lawsuit, court records show the state’s timeline did not slow down. The execution date stayed on track, but Pike’s team was not backing down either.

Buried in their filing was a request that caught everyone off guard. A method of execution that had not been used in the state of Tennessee in over 100 years. What was it, and why did they want it? The answer came from the Tennessee Supreme Court. To sort through Pike’s claims, the court appointed Senior Judge Mark Ward.

 His role was that of a fact-finder. He would gather the evidence and report back. According to court records, a multi-day hearing followed. Both sides brought their arguments before Judge Ward. Pike’s attorneys laid out two alternatives. Their first request was a central line. This is a catheter placed into a major vein, done by a qualified medical professional.

Their second request was execution by hanging. One of Pike’s attorneys put it plainly in court. Their words were direct. The torturous aspect is not only very real, but sure or very likely to cause tremendous and excruciating psychological distress at the moment of death. The state pushed back immediately.

 Their attorney countered with this statement. There’s also been no evidence to show that it’s sure or very likely that Ms. Pike’s thrombocytosis will lead to pulmonary edema. Two sides, two very different pictures of what could happen inside that execution chamber. Before we go further, if this update has caught your attention, take a second to like this video and subscribe.

 We will be tracking this case closely, and you will want to see the ruling the moment it drops. Now, here is where it gets even more complicated. Judge Ward was given just 1 week to make his decision. One week to determine everything that happens next. While Judge Ward considered his ruling, another piece of the story came to light.

 The name of the doctor set to oversee Kristie Pike’s execution. His name is Dr. Mark Walton Fowler, and he is not new to this role. Fowler confirmed to news reporters that he served as the physician for the execution of Tony Caruthers. That alone might not raise eyebrows. Executions require medical staff. But then came a second confirmation.

 Fowler also oversaw the execution of Daryl Hines. That execution took place on August 13th, 2026. Just 1 day later, on August 14th, Fowler confirmed he would also oversee Pike’s execution. One day between the two announcements. Two executions, one doctor. So, what happened during the Hines execution? According to media witnesses present that day, the timeline unfolded like this.

 At approximately 10:34 in the morning, Daryl Hines let out a very loud groan. Witnesses described discoloration beginning to appear on his face shortly after. Officials maintained that there were no complications during the procedure. A reporter who witnessed the execution first hand corroborated that the process, while difficult to watch, proceeded without incident in the state’s view.

 Hines was pronounced dead at 10:43 in the morning, 9 minutes after that groan was heard. Here is where the two sides split completely. The state stands by its account. Officially, everything about the Hines execution went according to protocol. No errors, no complications, a clean procedure by their definition.

 But Pike’s legal team sees it differently. To them, an audible groan and visible discoloration are not signs of a smooth process. They are warning signs, signs of possible distress, signs that the standard method carries real risk, even in cases without a documented blood disorder. And that is exactly what makes this next part so alarming.

 Pike’s own legal team has already told the court that a standard intravenous line may not work on her at all. Her veins, they argue, may resist a routine needle altogether. Now, picture this. The same doctor connected to the Hines execution, an execution marked by a groan and visible discoloration, is set to attempt a procedure on a woman whose lawyers say a normal needle might not even find a vein.

 Two executions, one doctor, and a case where his own past may become the center of the entire legal fight. The state of Tennessee is not backing down. Attorneys representing the state insist there is no solid medical evidence proving Pike would suffer more than any other inmate. They argue her blood disorder has not been proven to cause the severe complications her lawyers describe.

Court records confirm the execution warrant itself. It officially set the date of September 30th, 2026 for Pike’s execution. The state’s broader argument goes beyond just this one case. They point out that Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol has already survived past legal challenges. In their view, the method has been tested in court before and upheld.

 To them, Pike’s case is not different enough to change that outcome. Two very different arguments. One side says the risk is real. The other says it has never been proven. With both sides finished presenting their case, the responsibility now rests on one man. Judge Mark Ward was given exactly 1 week from the close of the hearing to submit his findings to the Tennessee Supreme Court.

 One week to decide something enormous. His findings could shape the outcome in several ways. The execution could proceed exactly as planned using the state’s standard lethal injection method. Or the court could decide a central line is required, forcing the state to change its approach for Pike specifically. Or in the most unexpected outcome, the court could authorize his execution by hanging, a method Tennessee has not used in over a century.

 Whatever Judge Ward decides, his ruling will not just affect Christa Pike. Legal experts following the case suggest it could set a precedent. A ruling that could change how executions happen in Tennessee for good. Step back for a moment and look at the bigger picture. If this execution goes forward, Christa Pike will make history.

She would become the first woman executed in the state of Tennessee in more than 200 years. Think about that. Two centuries. That is how long it has been since Tennessee last carried out an execution on a woman. Pike has spent roughly three decades on death row. Three decades of appeals, filings, and legal battles, all leading to this single point in time.

What started as a murder case in the 1990s has stretched across generations. It is no surprise this case has drawn national attention. A woman facing execution is rare enough on its own. Add a documented blood disorder, a request for a method not used in over a century, and a doctor with a questionable track record, and you have a case unlike almost any other in the country right now.

 As for her co-conspirators, both Tatro Shipman and Shadora Peterson were also convicted for their roles in the murder of Colleen Slemmer. Neither faces the death penalty. Their sentences played out separately from Pike’s case, and they are not part of the current legal fight over execution methods. This case has always been unusual.

 Now, it is about to become historic. Three decades ago, this case was about guilt. Today, it is not. Nobody is arguing whether Christa Pike committed this crime. The only question left is how her sentence will be carried out. Through all of this, one name deserves to be remembered, Colleen Slemmer. Her family has waited nearly 30 years for finality.

That wait may finally be nearing its end. So, tell us, what part of this update surprised you the most? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. If you want to be the first to know the moment Judge Ward’s ruling drops, make sure you are subscribed. We will bring you the update the second it happens.