Christa Gail Pike, the only woman currently held on Tennessee’s death row, is approaching a scheduled execution date nearly 30 years after she was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Pike, who was 18 when the crime occurred, is now 50 and remains the sole woman among Tennessee’s death-row prisoners.
Her execution is scheduled for September 30, 2026, at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. If carried out, it would make Pike the first woman executed by Tennessee in more than two centuries.
Pike’s 1995 Murder Conviction
Pike was convicted for the killing of Slemmer, whom she knew through the Knoxville Job Corps program. Prosecutors said Pike and two other teenagers were involved in the attack. Her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, was 17 at the time and received a life sentence, while Shadolla Peterson testified during the case and received probation.
Pike received the death penalty in 1996. Her attorneys have subsequently argued that her age at the time of the crime, history of abuse, mental-health conditions and traumatic childhood should be considered in determining whether her sentence should be changed. They have sought clemency and a sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
Final Legal Challenges and Execution Plans
Pike’s legal team has also challenged Tennessee’s lethal-injection protocol. A court hearing in August examined arguments concerning the state’s execution procedure and whether it could expose Pike to an unconstitutional risk of severe pain or complications. An emergency request to reopen the proceedings was later denied.
Her attorneys have continued seeking clemency from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. A recent petition asks that her death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment without parole, citing her age at the time of the crime and her history of abuse and trauma.
A Rare Case for a Woman on Death Row
Women make up a small proportion of the U.S. death-row population. Pike’s case is particularly unusual because she was sentenced to death for a crime committed when she was 18. If the execution proceeds, Tennessee would carry out its first execution of a woman in more than 200 years.
Tennessee Department of Correction records currently list 40 people on the state’s death row, including 39 men and one woman — Christa Pike.
With the September 30 execution date approaching, Pike’s attorneys continue to pursue available legal and clemency options while state officials prepare for the scheduled execution.
