Christa Pike out of appeals after Supreme Court denies execution stay

Christa Pike, Tennessee's only female death row inmate, has lost her final appeal after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in her imminent execution.

The nation's highest court denied Pike's request for a stay of execution on Sept. 29, less than 24 hours before Pike is set to be executed by lethal injection on Sept. 30. The court joins Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and lower courts in rejecting arguments from Pike's attorneys that she should be spared because of her exceptionally traumatic childhood.

Also on Sept. 29, Amnesty International joined more than 100 women's advocacy groups and sex abuse experts in continuing to argue for a reprieve for Pike.

"It is unthinkable that Governor Lee would even consider moving forward with this execution," Justin Mazzola, deputy director of research at Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. "In this moment, people around the world are asking Governor Lee to grant clemency to Ms. Pike, and we add our voice to theirs."

Lee announced on Sept. 28 that he upheld Christa Pike's death sentence and was not planning to intervene in her execution. He did not provide an explanation.

If Pike's execution moves forward, she will become the first woman…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/