Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declined to intervene in the case of Christa Pike, 50, who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, marking the state’s first execution of a woman in over two centuries.
Pike, the sole woman on Tennessee’s death row, was convicted in 1996 for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, a classmate at the Knoxville Job Corps program. Pike does not dispute her role in the killing, which prosecutors described as a jealous rage involving torture and a satanic symbol carved into Slemmer’s chest. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime, one of the youngest women ever sentenced to death in the U.S.
In a letter shared by her spiritual adviser and obtained by NBC News, Pike stated she was "at peace" with her fate but expressed nervousness about the execution process. "I am not afraid to die," she wrote. "I’m only nervous about the process."
Pike’s attorneys have argued that her death sentence is disproportionate given her age at the time of the crime, untreated mental illness, and history of severe childhood abuse and neglect. They contend that evidence of her abusive upbringing—unpresented during her trial—would likely have altered the sentencing outcome if introduced under current legal standards. Her legal team has filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the execution.
Slemmer’s mother has long advocated for Pike’s execution, telling ABC News that she has waited decades for justice. Tennessee’s last execution was in 2020, when Daryl Holton was put to death for the 1985 murder of his children.
The execution would be the first time Tennessee has carried out a death sentence against a woman since the state’s founding in 1796, according to historical records cited by NBC News. Pike’s case has drawn renewed attention due to its rarity and the brutality of the crime, which prosecutors described as premeditated and sadistic.
Pike’s spiritual adviser, Rev. Jeff Hood, told NBC News that Pike has found solace in her faith in recent years and has expressed readiness for her sentence to be carried out. Hood added that Pike’s mental health has stabilized since her initial sentencing, though her attorneys continue to argue that her traumatic background warrants clemency.
Tennessee’s Department of Correction has not publicly detailed the specific protocols for Wednesday’s execution, but lethal injection remains the state’s primary method of capital punishment. The execution date was set following a review of Pike’s appeals, which were exhausted in 2001. Her attorneys have requested additional time to present new evidence related to her mental health and abuse history, but no court has granted a stay as of Tuesday evening.
The case has reignited debates over the death penalty in Tennessee, particularly regarding the sentencing of juvenile offenders and the consideration of mitigating factors such as trauma and mental illness. Advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have condemned Pike’s execution as unjust, citing her age at the time of the crime and the lack of evidence presented about her abusive childhood during trial.
Prosecutors, however, maintain that the brutality of the crime and Pike’s role as the instigator justify the death sentence. Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen has previously stated that the details of the killing—including the carving of a pentagram into Slemmer’s chest—demonstrate Pike’s capacity for extreme violence and lack of remorse.
Pike’s execution would mark a significant shift in Tennessee’s capital punishment history, as the state has executed only seven people since 1960, all of them men. The last woman executed in the U.S. was Lisa Montgomery in 2021, a case that also involved severe mental illness and a history of abuse.
Legal experts note that Pike’s case could set a precedent for how courts handle similar appeals involving juvenile offenders and claims of mitigating circumstances. The Supreme Court’s decision on her emergency appeal is expected to be the final procedural hurdle before the execution proceeds.