Tennessee may carry out its first execution of a woman in more than 200 years after the state Supreme Court allowed the case of Christa Gail Pike to move forward. Pike, now 49, is the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and was 18 when she was convicted in one of the state’s most notorious murder cases… Continue Reading 🔽

The case involved the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow student in the Knoxville Job Corps program. Investigators said jealousy and conflict over Pike’s boyfriend led to a planned and violent attack that shocked both police and the public.

Pike was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to death. Others involved received different sentences, and Pike later received an additional prison sentence after another serious incident while incarcerated.

Her execution date is currently set for September 30, 2026, though her attorneys continue to argue against it. They point to her young age at the time, mental health diagnoses, trauma history, and claims of remorse, making the case both rare and deeply debated.