Woman Faces Tennessee’s First Female Execution in 200 Years as Lawyers Seek Clemency

A woman convicted of killing a fellow student in 1995 faces becoming the first woman executed in the US state of Tennessee in 200 years, as her lawyers argue she deserves clemency.

The lawyers for Pike say she is herself a victim and contend that she would not have received a death sentence if the crime had occurred today.

Their appeal places the circumstances surrounding Pike’s case at the centre of the argument for sparing her life, while challenging whether the same punishment would be imposed under present-day standards.

The defence’s position does not dispute the killing described in the case. Instead, it argues that clemency is warranted and that the death sentence should not be carried out.