Christa Pike Execution Date: Five Shocking Facts About The Only Woman On Tennessee's Death Row

As of December 22, 2025, the fate of Christa Gail Pike, the only woman currently on Tennessee’s death row, is sealed by a definitive court order. The Tennessee Supreme Court has set her execution date for September 30, 2026, marking a critical and final stage in one of the state’s most notorious capital punishment cases. Pike, convicted for the brutal 1995 murder of her Job Corps classmate Colleen Slemmer, is set to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years if her final appeals and clemency petitions are denied. The case of Christa Pike has captivated and horrified the public for decades, not only for the savage nature of the crime committed when she was just 18 but also for her continued violent behavior while incarcerated. Her journey from a troubled teenager at the Knoxville Job Corps center to a convicted murderer and death row inmate is a complex tapestry of abuse, violence, and legal controversy, with the September 2026 date now focusing intense scrutiny on her final legal and emotional battles.

Christa Gail Pike: Complete Biography and Profile

Christa Gail Pike's life before the crime was marked by severe trauma, a factor her defense attorneys have consistently highlighted in their appeals. Born on March 10, 1976, Pike was reportedly a victim of severe, repeated physical and sexual abuse and neglect from a young age, leading to significant mental health issues.

In 1995, at the age of 18, she was a student at the Knoxville Job Corps center, a federally funded program designed to help at-risk youth gain vocational skills. It was here that she formed a relationship with 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp and befriended 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, the victim of her eventual capital crime.

• Full Name: Christa Gail Pike
• Date of Birth: March 10, 1976
• Age at Crime: 18
• Victim: Colleen Slemmer (19 years old)
• Crime Date: January 12, 1995
• Location of Crime: University of Tennessee Agricultural Campus, Knoxville, Tennessee
• Conviction Date: 1996 (First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder)
• Sentence: Death by lethal injection (currently only woman on Tennessee death row)
• Current Execution Date: September 30, 2026
• Co-Defendants: Tadaryl Shipp and Shadolla Peterson

The Shocking Details of the Colleen Slemmer Murder

The murder of Colleen Slemmer stands as one of the most gruesome crimes in Tennessee’s history, driven by a motive of intense jealousy. Pike, along with her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and friend Shadolla Peterson, grew resentful of Slemmer, believing the victim was trying to steal Shipp away.

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On January 12, 1995, the trio lured Slemmer to a secluded, wooded area on the University of Tennessee Agricultural Campus, promising her a night of drug use.

The assault quickly escalated into an hour-long session of torture and mutilation. The horrific details revealed during the trial cemented the jury’s decision for the death penalty:

• Slemmer was first tortured and taunted by Pike and Shipp.
• Pike used a box cutter to slash a pentagram into Slemmer’s chest.
• The victim was ultimately killed when Pike bashed her head repeatedly with a large piece of asphalt or rock.
• In a chilling act of depravity, Pike kept a piece of Slemmer's skull as a "trophy" and showed it off to other students at the Job Corps center the following day.

The body of Colleen Slemmer was discovered the next morning by two University of Tennessee physical plant employees. Pike and Shipp were arrested shortly thereafter, with the evidence, including the skull fragment, leading to their convictions in 1996.

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Controversies and Incidents on Death Row

Christa Pike’s time on death row at the Tennessee Prison for Women has been anything but quiet, adding further layers to her controversial public profile and frequently undermining her claims of rehabilitation.

The 2004 Attempted Murder Conviction

In 2004, Pike was involved in a violent attack on a fellow inmate. She was convicted of attempted first-degree murder for strangling and beating the victim. This separate conviction has been a key point of legal contention, with her lawyers arguing for its reversal on grounds of ineffective counsel, though these appeals have largely been denied by the courts.

The Foiled 2012 Escape Plot

Perhaps the most sensational incident occurred in 2012 when Pike orchestrated an elaborate escape plot. Working with a man outside the prison and a corrections officer, Justin Heflin, Pike planned to use a stun gun and pepper spray to facilitate her escape. The plot was foiled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), leading to the arrest and conviction of her accomplices. The incident further solidified the state's view of her as a severe security risk.

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The Legal Battle and Sentencing Disparity

The setting of the September 30, 2026, execution date has reignited the decades-long legal battle, which now centers on two primary arguments: the role of her traumatic past and the significant sentencing disparity between Pike and her co-defendants.

The Juvenile Age Disparity

Pike was 18 at the time of the murder, making her eligible for the death penalty under Tennessee law. Her co-defendant and boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who was deemed equally culpable by the courts, was 17. Due to the age cutoff, Shipp was sentenced to life imprisonment, a disparity that Pike’s legal team argues makes her death sentence disproportionate and cruel.

Recent Appeals and Clemency

Pike's attorneys have pursued numerous appeals, including petitions for habeas corpus and motions to re-open her case based on new legal precedents. They continue to argue that her history of severe childhood abuse and neglect, coupled with her diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), should be considered mitigating factors that warrant a sentence reduction to life imprisonment. The final legal recourse will be a direct appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court and a petition for clemency to the Governor of Tennessee.

The Historical Significance of the Execution Date

If the execution proceeds as scheduled in September 2026, Christa Pike will make history for a grim reason: she would be the first woman executed in the state of Tennessee since 1819. The last woman executed was a slave named Polly, more than two centuries ago.

This historical context adds significant weight to the case, drawing national attention to Tennessee's capital punishment policies and the ethical debate surrounding the execution of women, especially those who committed their crimes as young adults with documented histories of severe abuse. The September 30, 2026, date serves as a stark deadline for the final legal and moral arguments in a case that has come to define the extremes of capital crime and punishment.

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