First Woman to Face Execution in Tennessee in 200 Years Seeks Clemency

Pike, who killed a fellow student in 1995, is facing execution in the US state of Tennessee, where she would be the first woman put to death in 200 years.

Her lawyers say she deserves clemency, arguing that she is also a victim and that her case should not end with an execution.

They contend that Pike would not have received a death sentence if the crime had taken place today. That argument places the difference between her original sentencing and how her case might now be treated at the centre of their appeal.

The defence’s plea concerns her punishment rather than denying the killing. Her lawyers are asking for her life to be spared, challenging whether the death sentence should still be carried out.