Christa Pike Update: Tennessee’s Only Female Death Row Inmate Faces New Legal Twist

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A death row inmate in Tennessee was about an hour away from execution before everything changed.

Christa Pike‘s execution was stopped at the last minute on Wednesday morning. The Tennessee death row inmate was close to receiving a lethal injection when a federal appeals court granted her a stay.

Christa Pike has spent three decades on death row for a murder she committed at 18. The 50-year-old was sentenced to death in 1996 for killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. She would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. 

Death Row Inmate Gets A Last-Minute Grace 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit granted Pike a stay “until further order” shortly before her scheduled execution. The decision came from a divided 2-1 panel, which considered whether her latest filing should return the case to federal district court.

Pike’s lawyers argued that Tennessee had recently changed its position that she faked her sexual abuse. They said the state’s acknowledgment of her abuse “erodes the foundation” of earlier proceedings. Tennessee asked the court to vacate her stay and proceed with her execution, as reported by The New York Times.

In a majority order, Circuit Judge Jane Stranch wrote that “the interests of justice and the finality of Pike’s impending execution compel the entry of a short stay of execution.” Circuit Judge Richard Griffin also called the filing “another last-ditch meritless effort to delay a lawful execution.” At the same time, the majority said a short stay was needed to properly consider the arguments.

The stay came after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Pike’s request on Tuesday evening. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee had also denied her clemency petition, saying he would uphold the death sentence after “deliberate consideration.” Pike had written days earlier, “Whether my clemency is granted or not, I am at peace. I am not afraid to die,” according to a letter shared with reporters.

Christa Pike Reportedly Committed The Murder With Her Friends 

Pike had been scheduled to die at 10 a.m. CDT, or 11 a.m. EDT. If Pike were executed, she would have been the first woman put to death by Tennessee in at least 200 years.

PEOPLE reported that she was sentenced to death for the January 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 while Slemmer was 19. Pike, her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, and Shadolla Peterson were convicted of the killing.

Pike believed Slemmer was interested in Shipp and wanted to take him from her. The three eventually took Slemmer to a wooded area on the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus. The accused and Shipp reportedly attacked Slemmer while Peterson remained nearby. 

Slemmer was beaten with asphalt and cut with the box cutter during the attack. Shipp later admitted that he carved a pentagram into Slemmer’s chest. Pike also took a piece of Slemmer’s skull and later showed it to other students. Pike and Shipp were convicted in 1996. 

The 17-year-old Shipp received life in prison with the possibility of parole. Peterson pleaded guilty to being an accessory and received six years of probation. Pike was the only person involved who received a death sentence.

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The Death Row Inmate Says She Was ‘A Mentally Ill 18-Year-Old’

The 50-year-old’s history included sexual abuse that began when she was very young. She was reportedly raped at 11 and again at 17, and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD. Her lawyers believe the jury that sentenced her to death did not know the full extent of what she had experienced.

Pike has also spoken about how she now views the crime. “I was a mentally ill 18-year-old kid,” she said in her clemency petition. She said it took years for her to understand the seriousness of her actions and how many people she had affected.

“I took the life of someone’s child, sister, friend,” Pike said. She added that it now “sickens” her to think she was capable of committing the crime. Colleen’s mother, May Slemmer Martinez, still supports Pike’s execution and traveled from Florida with her husband to witness it.

Pike’s Friend Sees Her Differently

Ashlee Sellars, who is Pike’s friend, last heard from her earlier this week. Pike told her that she does not want any of her loved ones to witness her execution. “She doesn’t want us to experience that,” Sellars said.

Sellars reportedly struggled to connect the friend she knows with the person responsible for the crime from 31 years ago. She also described Pike as someone who has always been kind and protective of her. Sellars met Pike in prison while serving a 25-year sentence for her involvement in a robbery-murder. 

According to a report from the BBC, Pike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in prison in 2021. The Psychologist, Dr. Bethany Brand, who assessed her in 2023, said Pike had an untreated manic episode and PTSD. The accused’s defense expert, Sandra Babcock, also revealed that Pike had a childhood traumatic experience.

The Death Row Inmate Found A Connection With Lindsay Clancy

Facebook | Lindsay Clancy

In her final days before the scheduled execution, Pike spoke about Clancy’s case. She revealed that she felt a “kinship” with Clancy because their cases involve women whose mental health became part of their legal defenses. 

“We are both females who got into trouble because of uniquely female issues,” Pike told The Times. She also said awareness of women’s issues had changed since she was put on trial. Pike believed her own case might have been viewed differently if she had faced jurors. 

“I think I would be ‘because science about brain development has evolved,’” she said. She also discussed race when explaining how she believed it affected her punishment. Pike said she thought she was “more harshly judged” because of her relationship with Shipp, who was Black, as shared by The Blast.

Christa Pike’s execution is still on hold for now.

The Christa Pike Update: Tennessee’s Only Female Death Row Inmate Faces New Legal Twist first appeared on The Blast