Christa Pike killed a 19-year-old girl in 1995 when she herself was 18 years old, now 31 years later she is set to become the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in 200 years; here are details of the gruesome crime

The state of Tennessee is set to execute Christa Pike in a matter of days, with Wednesday (September 30) scheduled to be her last day. Pike, now aged 50 years, was 18 when she and her boyfriend at the time beat, tortured, and killed Colleen Slemmer, a 19-year-old they had met at a job training camp.

The brutal crime took place in Knoxville in January 1995, leading to a media frenzy in the area. Pike had accused Slemmer of insulting her and trying to steal her boyfriend.

Several residents at the camp later testified that Pike had bragged about the murder before and after committing it, and even showed them a piece of Slemmer's skull, which she had kept as a souvenir. One year later, she was sentenced to death, while her then boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, who was 17 at the time, was handed a life sentence.


After years of failed appeals, Christa Pike's execution is due to take place on Wednesday. If it is carried out, she will be the first woman put to death in Tennessee in over 200 years. Only 18 women have been executed in the US since the 1970s, while over 1,600 men have been put to death during the period.

Pike's defence files clemency petition

Pike's lawyers have filed a 226-page clemency petition in hope of a last-minute relief as United Nations human rights experts have also called for the execution to be stopped. Pike has a documented history of childhood sexual abuse, abandonment, and neglect. The defense team has discovered details about her childhood they say the jury never had a chance to consider.

Pike's history of abuse

A forensic psychologist hired by Pike's defence team found that she was severely neglected by both her parents. The psychologist's report found that Pike was physically and sexually abused by several of her mother's husbands and boyfriends, and raped several times. It was later found that she was repeatedly raped as a toddler by her grandmother's partner. In 2021, Pike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in prison and has since been on medication.

Last year, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that Pike had not shown circumstances that would justify reducing her sentence. Her appeals process had been exhausted and a date was decided for her execution. Unless she is granted clemency by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Pike will be executed by lethal injection on September 30.