Will Texas Follow Tennessee’s Lead on Executing a Woman?

In a historical move for the state, Tennessee has scheduled the execution of a female death row inmate. If she does get executed, she'll be the first woman in more than 200 years to die by the hands of the State of Tennessee.

It is not unusual for states to be squeamish about executing women; it is exceptionally rare that they ever meet the needle. To be fair, there are far fewer women on death row. For example, out of the 174 people on Texas's death row, only 7 are women*

* Brittany Holberg has a decent chance of having her sentence commuted to life in prison. Read More: Brittany Killed With a Broken Lamp, Now Might Get Off Death Row

Tennessee’s Decision to Set an Execution Date for a Woman

Tennessee has scheduled the execution of its only woman currently sitting on the state's death row: Christa Gail Pike. According to ABC News, if the execution proceeds as planned, she will be executed in September 2026 either by lethal injection or, as some Tennessee inmates have chosen, via electrocution.

Pike was convicted of the murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, for "wanting to steal her boyfriend." Which sounds incredibly petty until you hear the horrific details, then it sounds utterly psychotic. According to legal documents on the case, a witness relayed the following:

Could Texas Be the Next State to Schedule a Female Execution?

Texas has executed four women in the modern era, including Karla Fay Tucker, Betty Lou Beets, Frances Elaine Newton, and Susan Basso.

While there is currently only one person scheduled to be executed this year, Robert Roberson, it is entirely possible Texas could choose to execute a female next year (Texas usually takes a break from executions around the holiday season).

Since Holberg is in a legal limbo right now, the remaining choices are: Erica Sheppard (who has been on the row the longest), the infamous and controversial Darlie Routier, Linda Carty, Melissa Lucio (whose guilt has been called into question), Kimberly Cargill, or Taylor Renee Parker. 

Read More: How Many Women Are On Texas Death Row And Why?

Out of those women, I think the best candidate would be Kimberly Cargill, as her crime was particularly cruel- she murdered her intellectually disabled friend and children's babysitter to keep her from testifying in a child custody hearing, then left her burning body on the side of the road. I would choose Parker, except that she is still very young because she famously killed a pregnant woman to steal her unborn child, who also died.

Executions of any convicted person have slowed to a trickle in every state, even Texas. However, it wouldn't surprise me if one of these women does follow in Pike's path toward meeting her marker- assuming Pike does win a stay before next year.