Tennessee is preparing for something it hasn’t done in more than 200 years — execute a woman. The state’s Supreme Court has approved an execution date for Christa Gail Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, bringing renewed attention to one of the most disturbing murder cases in its history.
Pike was just 18 when she killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995, after becoming convinced — without evidence — that Slemmer was interested in her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. Pike, Shipp, and another student, Shadolla Peterson, lured Slemmer into the woods near the University of Tennessee campus. There, Pike launched a brutal attack: she slashed Slemmer, carved a pentagram into her chest, and crushed her skull. Pike even kept a piece of the skull as a trophy, which she later showed investigators while laughing through her confession.
Pike was sentenced to death in 1996. Shipp received life without parole, while Peterson testified against them and got probation. Pike later attacked another inmate in 2004, adding 25 years to her sentence.
For decades, Pike’s attorneys have appealed her case, arguing that her traumatic childhood, severe abuse, and mental-health diagnoses should be considered, especially since she was barely an adult at the time of the murder. They claim she has shown remorse and changed significantly while incarcerated.
But Tennessee has moved forward. Her execution is now set for September 30, 2026. If it proceeds, Pike will be the first woman executed in the state since 1820.
The decision comes as Tennessee resumes executions after halting them in 2022 due to lethal-injection protocol failures. With Pike’s legal options dwindling, the case reignites long-standing debates about trauma, youth, justice, and the death penalty — nearly 30 years after the crime.