A federal appeals court halted the execution of a Tennessee woman on death row since 1995 about an hour before it was set to begin Wednesday.
Christa Pike, now 50, was convicted of a 1995 murder she committed at age 18. The judges said they want to review whether her allegations of sexual abuse and rape as a child were fully considered before she was sentenced to death.
First female execution in 200 years
This would have been the state's first execution of a woman in at least 200 years. It wasn't immediately clear if Tennessee's attorney general was appealing the decision or how long the execution might be delayed.
Witnesses gathered at prison
Execution witnesses had already gathered at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville when the order came down at around 9am local time.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
