Tennessee Set to Execute Woman for First Time in Nearly 200 Years as Clemency Bid Fails

A Tennessee woman convicted of a brutal 1995 murder is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday after Governor Bill Lee rejected her request for clemency, potentially marking the state's first execution of a woman in nearly two centuries.

Christa Pike, now 50, was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 for the killing of 19-year-old fellow student Colleen Slemmer. Pike, who was 18 at the time of the crime, carried out the murder with her then-17-year-old boyfriend, Tadarail Shipp.

The case drew widespread attention because of the extreme brutality of the killing, the young ages of those involved, and the fact that a Satanic symbol was carved into the victim's body.

Pike's attorneys have argued that she should not be executed because she endured severe childhood abuse and suffered from serious mental illnesses. According to her legal team, she was sexually abused throughout her childhood and raped at the ages of 11 and 17. She was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Her lawyers contend that the jury that sentenced her to death in 1996 was not presented with critical evidence about her traumatic upbringing and mental health. They also argue that insufficient weight was given to the fact that Pike was only 18 years old when the crime was committed.

In a statement, Pike's attorneys said that the people and institutions responsible for protecting and supporting her throughout her childhood had failed her. They added that the 50-year-old woman today is vastly different from the troubled teenager she was three decades ago. According to the defense, Pike has expressed genuine remorse for her actions, is receiving treatment for her mental health conditions, and has become a mentor to other women in prison.

Civil rights and human rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Amnesty International, also urged Governor Lee to halt the execution or grant clemency.

However, Governor Lee declined to intervene.

In a statement, Lee said he had carefully reviewed Pike's clemency petition and the details of the case before deciding to uphold the sentence imposed by the state. He said he had no plans to interfere with the execution.

Following the governor's decision, Pike's attorneys said they were "deeply saddened and devastated," arguing that the decision ignores decades of scientific research on adolescent brain development and the diminished decision-making capacity of young adults, particularly those who have experienced severe trauma.

Her legal team has also filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking a stay of execution.

Pike has never denied her role in Slemmer's murder. In her clemency petition, however, she expressed profound remorse, saying she was a mentally ill 18-year-old at the time and that it took her years to fully understand the horror of her actions and the devastating impact the crime had on countless lives.

She said she had taken the life of someone who was "someone's daughter, someone's sister, and someone's friend," adding that she now feels physically sick when she thinks about having been capable of committing such a crime.

Defense attorney Stephen Ferrell argued that modern scientific understanding of adolescent brain development makes Pike's execution an extraordinary case that is inconsistent with current knowledge about youth decision-making.

At the time of the murder, Pike's boyfriend, Tadarail Shipp, was 17 years old. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole because he was a juvenile. His parole request was denied last year. A third teenage participant admitted involvement in the crime and received probation.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Colleen Slemmer's mother, Mae Martinez, remembered her daughter as a quiet young woman who volunteered with the Special Olympics, loved roller skating, and hoped to pursue a career in computers. She said Slemmer enjoyed building and taking apart computers with her father and trusted everyone—a trait she believes ultimately led to her tragic death.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the last woman executed in Tennessee was Martha Eve, who was hanged in 1820 after being convicted as an accomplice to murder. If Pike's execution proceeds, she will become the first woman executed in the state in nearly 200 years.

Several other U.S. states have executed female inmates in recent years. In 2023, Missouri executed Amber McLaughlin, who was convicted of a 2003 murder and became the first openly transgender woman executed in the United States. In 2021, the federal government executed Lisa Montgomery, marking the first federal execution of a woman in nearly 70 years. Georgia also carried out the execution of a female inmate in 2015.

Whether Pike's execution proceeds as scheduled now depends on the outcome of the last-minute appeals pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.