Christa Pike: What We Know

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Christa Pike, 50, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, is set to be executed Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, at 10 a.m. Central. She would be the first woman Tennessee has executed since 1820. She was 18 in January 1995 when she took part in the murder of Colleen Slemmer, 19, a fellow student at the Knoxville Job Corps center. Under Roper v. Simmons (2005), no one can be executed for a crime committed before 18.

What's confirmed

1. Colleen Slemmer, 19, came to Knoxville's Job Corps center from Florida. She volunteered with the Special Olympics and loved computers. AP; Nashville Banner; WBIR
2. Jan. 12, 1995the center's sign-out log showed four students leaving together; three came back. Her body was found the next morning on UT's agricultural campus. On Jan. 14, Pike waived her rights and gave police a full statement. State v. Pike (Tenn. 1998); 6th Cir. (2019); The Intercept
3. March 1996a Knox County jury convicted Pike of first-degree murder; she was sentenced to death at 20, one of the youngest women ever sentenced to death. Prosecutors cited jealousy over a relationship. Tenn. Supreme Court; AP; Nashville Banner
4. 1998conviction upheld. 2001: she asked to drop her appeals, then reversed; in 2005 the court let her continue. Tenn. Supreme Court; Tenn. AG
5. Aug. 2001she attacked a fellow inmate; in 2004 she was convicted of attempted first-degree murder. Tenn. AG; AP
6. 2019–20federal relief denied (6th Cir.); U.S. Supreme Court declined review. 6th Cir.; Tenn. AG
7. 2022Gov. Bill Lee paused executions for an independent review; they resumed in 2025. Sept. 30, 2025: the Tennessee Supreme Court set her date. WBIR; Nashville Banner; Tenn. AG
8. Since 1976 the U.S. has executed 18 women, about 1% of executions. DPIC; AP
9. Sept. 23, 2026the Tennessee Supreme Court denied a stay. Sept. 28: Gov. Lee denied clemency: "After deliberate consideration of Christa Gail Pike's request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene." WATE; FOX 17; WVLT; WSMV
10. Colleen's mother, May Martinez"Not a day goes by… that I do not think about Colleen." AP; NBC News

What's disputed

• Her lawyers: her jury never heard of the sexual abuse she suffered from early childhood, or her bipolar disorder and PTSD; an 18-year-old's brain is still developing; the other seven people sentenced to death in modern Tennessee for crimes at 18 had those sentences vacated. CBS; AP; Nashville Banner; WVLT
• The courts: Roper has never been extended to 18-year-olds. A 6th Circuit judge wrote in 2019 that executing people under 21 is likely not permitted, but "reluctantly" concurred. Tennessee courts refused (2023–24) to reopen her case under a juvenile-sentencing ruling. 6th Cir.; Tenn. AG; DPIC
• The State: her sentence survived every level of review; "After three decades of litigation, Pike seeks to further delay her execution." Tenn. AG brief, 9/28/2026

What happens next

• A stay application (No. 26A414) is pending at the U.S. Supreme Court; her lawyers argue her PTSD makes the process likely to cause severe mental suffering. No ruling as of Sept. 29. We'll report the outcome.

Chapters

1. 0:00The sentence
2. 0:37Colleen
3. 1:17The case
4. 1:48The trial
5. 2:11Three decades of appeals
6. 3:02The line at 18
7. 4:56How rare
8. 5:24Where it stands

Sources

1. TDOCtn.gov/correction/news/2026/8/31/media-advisory--execution-witness-applications---christa-pike--261368.html
2. SCOTUS docketsupremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26-5696.html
3. 6th Cir. (2019)opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/19a0205p-06.pdf
4. APabcnews.com/US/wireStory/tennessee-set-execute-woman-time-200-years-136830258
5. Nashville Bannernashvillebanner.com/2026/09/28/christa-pike-tennessee-execution-death-penalty/
6. FOX 17fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-governor-denies-clemency-for-death-row-inmate-christa-pike
7. WSMVwsmv.com/2026/09/28/heres-when-christa-pikes-execution-is-tennessee-becoming-states-first-woman-executed-more-than-200-years/
8. The Intercepttheintercept.com/2026/09/27/christa-pike-execution-women-death-row/

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Part of What We Know: open cases, confirmed facts only · YouTube playlist