US state set to execute first woman in over 200 years – her horrific crime revealed

Pike was convicted of first degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to death

Shipp received life without parole, while Peterson, who cooperated with investigators, received probation. Nearly a decade later, Pike earned an additional 25-year sentence after attempting to strangle another inmate in 2004.

After decades of appeals, the state formally requested an execution date, now set for September 30, 2026. Pike’s attorneys continue to argue that her age, trauma history, and mental health diagnoses — including bipolar disorder and PTSD — should weigh heavily against execution.