India, Sept. 30 -- A federal appellate court issued a stay of execution on Wednesday morning, preventing the carrying out of the capital sentence against the sole female inmate on Tennessee's death row approximately one hour prior to the scheduled execution time.

The judges stated their intention to examine whether the defendant's claims regarding childhood sexual abuse and rape were comprehensively evaluated prior to the imposition of the capital sentence.

Before receiving notification on Monday regarding Lee's decision not to intervene in her case, Pike, 50, communicated in a correspondence addressed to NBC News, which was subsequently disseminated through her spiritual adviser "Whether my clemency is granted or not, I am at peace." ...