The state of Tennessee may soon carry out its first execution of a woman in more than two centuries after the Tennessee Supreme Court allowed the sentence of Christa Gail Pike to move forward.
Pike, now 49, is currently the only woman on Tennessee’s death row. She was 18 years old when she was convicted for the murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995.
The 1995 murder case
The crime occurred on January 12, 1995, in a wooded area near the agricultural campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
At the time, both Pike and Slemmer were participating in the Job Corps in Knoxville. Investigators said Pike had become convinced that Slemmer was interested in her boyfriend, 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp.
Prosecutors later argued that jealousy played a key role in the attack.
Authorities said Pike lured Slemmer into the wooded area with the help of Shipp and another participant in the program, Shadolla Peterson. According to court records and investigative reports, the attack was extremely violent.
Investigators later said Pike kept a fragment of Slemmer’s skull as a trophy and showed it to other students before being arrested.
Retired detective Randy York, who worked on the investigation, later described Pike’s behavior during questioning as unusually calm.
“She was very cooperative and wanted to tell us everything,” York said in interviews about the case.
Conviction and sentencing
In 1996, Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Her co-defendant Shipp received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Peterson, who testified against the other two during the trial, received probation.
Pike’s time in prison has also included additional legal issues. In 2004 she was convicted of attempting to strangle another inmate and received an additional 25-year sentence.
Appeals and legal arguments
For nearly three decades, Pike’s case has moved through the appeals process. Her legal team continues to challenge the death sentence.
Attorneys argue that several factors should be considered, including Pike’s age at the time of the crime and her background. Defense lawyers say she experienced severe childhood trauma and abuse and struggled with untreated mental illness.
Psychological evaluations conducted after the crime diagnosed her with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Christa’s childhood was fraught with years of physical and sexual abuse and neglect,” her defense team said in statements cited by CBS News.
They also argue that she has shown remorse and changed during her decades in prison.
Execution timeline
According to court filings, the state requested that an execution date be scheduled. The date currently set is September 30, 2026.
If the execution proceeds, Pike would become the first woman executed in Tennessee since 1820.
According to Death Penalty Information Center, the last recorded execution of a woman in Tennessee occurred in 1820 when Martin Eve was hanged for being an accessory to murder.
It would also mark only the fourth execution of a woman in the state’s history.
Changes to Tennessee’s death penalty system
Tennessee’s death penalty process has faced scrutiny in recent years. In May 2022, Governor Bill Lee temporarily paused executions after concerns were raised about the testing and preparation of lethal injection drugs.
An independent review followed, and the state later introduced a revised lethal injection protocol. Executions resumed in May 2025 after the review was completed.
Pike’s case now stands at the center of renewed attention surrounding capital punishment in the state. As legal challenges continue, the final outcome remains uncertain while courts review ongoing appeals and arguments from both sides.
