Tennessee Prepares First Female Execution in Over 200 Years
- Christa Pike is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on September 30, marking the first time the state of Tennessee will execute a woman in more than 200...
- Governor Bill Lee declined to intervene in the execution of the sentence on September 28, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
- Historical records regarding the execution of women in Tennessee are subject to scrutiny.
Christa Pike is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on September 30, marking the first time the state of Tennessee will execute a woman in more than 200 years. Convicted for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, Pike has remained on death row since March 1996. Her case represents a rare instance of capital punishment applied to a female offender in the United States, where women account for approximately 1% of all executions since 1976.
Legal Challenges and State Intervention
Governor Bill Lee declined to intervene in the execution of the sentence on September 28, according to reporting by the Associated Press. In response, Pike’s legal counsel has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking a stay of execution. The defense argues that Pike, now 50, suffered from severe mental health disorders and brain damage at the time of the offense.
Historical records regarding the execution of women in Tennessee are subject to scrutiny. While some databases, such as the Death Penalty Information Center, previously cited the 1820 execution of Eve Martin, later research determined that record was erroneous; Martin was a victim of a crime, not an perpetrator. Consequently, the last verified execution of a woman in the state occurred in 1819, involving an unnamed Black woman. Pike would also be the first person in Tennessee’s modern history to be executed for a crime committed between the ages of 18 and 20.
Details of the 1995 Crime
The murder occurred on January 12, 1995, following an evening outing from the Knoxville Job Corps training center. Pike, her partner Tadaryl Shipp, and another student lured Slemmer to a secluded area where the group subjected her to approximately 30 minutes of physical abuse and torture. According to court records, Pike struck Slemmer repeatedly with a large piece of asphalt after the victim had been cut.
Following the death, Pike retained a piece of Slemmer’s skull, which she later displayed to other students. While the crime was initially linked to Pike’s interest in Satanism due to a pentagram carved into Slemmer’s chest, Shipp testified in court that he had performed the carving. Shipp also stated that he provided the box cutter and meat cleaver used during the encounter. Judicial proceedings identified jealousy as a primary motive for the conflict.
Precedent for Executions of Women in the U.S.
Executions of women remain an anomaly in the American justice system. Since 1976, only 18 women have been executed across the country. The most recent instance occurred in January 2023, when Amber McLaughlin, a transgender woman, was executed in Missouri. Prior to that, in January 2021, federal authorities executed Lisa Montgomery, marking the first time the federal government had carried out a death sentence against a woman in nearly 70 years.