Written by Gianna Lara, Staff Writer
The first woman to face the death penalty in the state of Tennessee since 1826, survived two lethal doses of Pentobarbital drugs.
Colleen Slemmer, was a 19-year-old woman who was beginning to explore the tech industry when her life was tragically cut short. Her parents had sent her to complete a Job Corps program that offered computer courses, and there, she met an 18 year old Christa Pike.
On January 12, 1995, Pike, her boyfriend, and another friend of theirs would bring it upon themselves to beat and torture Slemmer until she succumbed to her injuries. Christa claimed to be caught in a fit of rage, as her classmate was allegedly trying to grab her boyfriend’s attention.
Following her death, Pike took a piece of Slemmer’s skull to flaunt and have as a keepsake. However, the three students were placed under custody just three days after Slemmer’s death.
The body of Colleen Slemmer was left behind at the steam plant on the agricultural campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was found by two employees the morning after her death.
Her body showed signs of trauma to the skull as well as multiple slashes on her neck. Slemmer was found with bruises, evidence of the beating she endured, as well as a pentagram carved into her chest. This evidence was enough to officially convict Pike of first-degree murder, and to later sentence her to death in March of 1996.
Christa’s age was an important contributing factor to the decision of her sentencing. Considering she was the youngest girl in Tennessee to have ever been put on death row, many people felt as though leniency was the correct call to make in the case of Christa and her accomplices. Ultimately, however, on September 30, 2025 it was decided that the following year the execution would be carried out as planned.
As September 30th approached, Pike’s lawyer stalled the execution under the defense of an underdeveloped brain and mental issues leading her to commit the murder. This argument gained traction as people began to sympathize with Christa due to her troubled past wherein she underwent an abusive home life, childhood rape, and parental neglect. Despite having so many supporters, the effort was denied by the Supreme Court and the execution was underway yet again.
In the state of Tennessee, correctional commissioners are responsible for the maintenance, finances, and coordination of programs at prisons. In states like Tennessee commissioners are also expected to oversee the preparations for death row inmates.
This year, under the leadership of Commissioner Frank Strada, there have been instances in which prisoners on death row survive their executions due to medical negligence. The controversy relating to Pike’s failed execution shed light on various cases where Strada did not follow protocols required to maximize effectiveness.
Rumors continued to spread, showing that the two hired executioners showed a blatant disregard for official policies. This oversight of his job duties led to Strada’s resignation and a ban on executioning for the rest of the year.
Many other states have found it difficult to obtain the materials necessary to carry out executions because of pharmaceutical companies’ unwillingness to cooperate with prison systems. The goal of lethal injection is to introduce a drug that will stop the heart so that the prisoner doesn’t have to experience a significant amount of pain.
This issue prevailed in Pike’s case as well. After being delayed from the morning, the execution was carried out and the events took place in the evening. Once injected with the first dose, Pike claimed to feel a painful sensation in her arm. After surviving the first dose, she was injected a second time and proceeded to have a similar result.
Following the failed execution, Christa was rushed to the hospital and was given life-saving treatment. As of October 6th she has been reported to have gained consciousness and begun speaking. The unprecedented series of events will be reviewed on Wednesday, October 7th in order to finalize the decision of Christa Pike’s future.