TD NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Tennessee is preparing to execute a woman for the first time in more than two centuries, with death-row inmate Christa Pike scheduled to be put to death on Wednesday, September 30.
Pike, now 50, was 18 in 1995 when she murdered her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, then 19.
If the execution proceeds, Pike will become the first woman executed by Tennessee since 1820.
She is also set to become the only person executed in Tennessee in the modern death-penalty era for a crime committed at age 18, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
The Tennessee Supreme Court formally set Pike’s execution date for September 30, 2026.
The execution was stipulated after determining that she had completed the standard three-tier appeals process.
The 1995 murder by Pike
Pike was a student at the Knoxville Job Corps when she became involved in the killing of Slemmer, whom prosecutors said she viewed as a romantic rival.
According to court records and prosecutors’ account, Pike and her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, lured Slemmer to a secluded area in Knoxville.
Prosecutors said Slemmer was beaten and attacked with a box cutter before being killed.
The case attracted considerable attention because of the brutality of the crime and the ages of those involved.
A pentagram was also carved into Slemmer’s body. Shipp later acknowledged carving the symbol, according to reports.
Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1996.
Shipp, who was 17 at the time of the killing and therefore too young to receive a death sentence, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
A third teenager involved in the case, Shadolla Peterson, testified against Pike and Shipp and received probation.
Defence challenges death sentence
Pike’s lawyers are not disputing her responsibility for Slemmer’s death.
However, they have argued that her death sentence should be reconsidered in light of her age, mental health and traumatic childhood.
Her attorneys say Pike experienced severe sexual abuse and neglect while growing up.
They said she was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
They have also argued that developments in scientific understanding of adolescent brain development should be considered when assessing a crime committed by an 18-year-old.
Lawyers to Pike cited important evidence concerning her childhood trauma and mental health.
They contended that these were not adequately presented to the jury during the sentencing phase of her original trial.
The Death Penalty Information Center says that death sentences for defendants aged 18 to 20 have become increasingly uncommon.
People in that age group, however, remain constitutionally eligible for capital punishment in the United States.
Governor rejects clemency for Pike
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on September 28 that he would not intervene to stop the execution.
Lee said he had reviewed Pike’s clemency request but would uphold the sentence imposed by the state.
Pike’s legal team has subsequently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the execution.
A filing with the Supreme Court states that Pike is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. Central Daylight Time on September 30.
It asked the court to halt the execution while her appeals and challenges to Tennessee’s lethal-injection protocol are considered.
As of September 29, the execution remains scheduled unless a court intervenes.
First Tennessee woman executed since 1820
The historical significance of the case has drawn national attention.
The Death Penalty Information Center says Pike would be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.
The state’s last documented execution of a woman occurred in 1820.
Female executions remain uncommon across the United States.
The Death Penalty Information Center reports that 18 women have been executed nationwide since 1976, when the modern era of capital punishment began.
If carried out, Pike’s execution is scheduled for 10 a.m. CDT on September 30 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.
Tennessee Department of Correction records confirm the scheduled date and time.
Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, has publicly supported the execution, saying she has spent decades waiting for her daughter’s sentence to be carried out.
Pike’s defence team, meanwhile, continues to seek judicial intervention.
The outcome now rests with the courts as the scheduled execution date approaches.
