Tennessee could soon carry out its first execution of a woman in more than 200 years after the state Supreme Court allowed the death sentence of Christa Gail Pike to move forward. Pike, now 49 and the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, was 18 when she murdered 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995 out of jealousy involving her boyfriend. The shocking crime, committed with the help of two others, deeply disturbed investigators and the public. Pike was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and later received another sentence for attacking an inmate in prison. After years of appeals, her execution is scheduled for September 30, 2026, though her lawyers argue her traumatic childhood, mental health struggles, and young age at the time should still be considered.
