'Can't Imagine What She Went Through,' Christa Pike's Apology Video Surfaces After Botched Execution
An old courtroom video showing Christa Pike apologizing for killing Colleen Slemmer has resurfaced online after Pike survived two lethal doses during her failed execution.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleThe horribly botched execution of Christa Pike, Tennessee's only female inmate on death row, has sparked nationwide fury and left Colleen Slemmer's family in utter distress. Colleen's mother, May, had previously said that Pike never made the minimal effort to reach out in the last three decades and apologize for the horrific killing of her 19-year-old daughter.
With May now demanding an apology from the state of Tennessee for its failure to execute her daughter's killer, a previously recorded courtroom video has resurfaced online, where Christa expresses remorse for the 1995 murder.
Christa Pike apologizes to Colleen Slemmer's mother in old courtroom video
The footage, which has been circulating on X, appears to show Pike speaking during proceedings connected to her case. In the emotional remarks, Pike acknowledged that she had taken away a daughter and sister and said she could never fully understand the pain her actions caused Slemmer’s family.
Reflecting on how life would have turned out for her and Slemmer, Pike said, "I could have done so many great things and been so much more, and done so much more with my life. So could she (Colleen)."
She went on to express remorse for the pain she had caused Slemmer's family, saying, "To think that I took someone's child away... I took someone's sister away. You know, she could have been a mother."
Pike then addressed Slemmer’s mother directly, saying she wished there were a way to undo what happened, and that she had nothing more to say after the damage she had caused. Apologizing to the late student's family, she said:
"I wish there was anything I could do to take it back, but I know there's not. But I'm sorry. I don't even know what else I could say. In light of everything that's happened, I can't imagine what she went through... and I don't know how to say 'I'm sorry' enough for what I've done, or how to make it any better for her."
Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of Slemmer, a fellow Knoxville Job Corps student. Pike was 18 at the time of the crime, and it was a joint conspiracy also involving her then-boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp, 17, and accomplice Shadolla Peterson, 19.
Shipp was a minor at the time of the murder and received a life sentence. Meanwhile, Peterson became a valuable accessory and had no solid evidence connecting her to the murder. She is out of jail.
Christa Pike's lawyer says she was thinking about Colleen Slemmer's mother on execution day
Pike spent roughly three decades on Tennessee’s death row and was scheduled to become the first woman executed by the state in more than 200 years. Colleen's mother and stepfather had travelled all the way from Florida to Tennessee to finally watch their child's killer die after waiting for 31 years. However, the plan horribly failed.
On September 30, 2026, Pike was administered two doses of pentobarbital. Still, she remained "alive and snoring" more than 40 minutes after the second dose. Her attorneys have said execution staff struggled to establish IV access, using at least seven needles during the procedure.
Court filings revealed that Pike could be heard crying and whimpering during the attempt. She reportedly told the execution team, "My arm feels like it's about to burst open." Her lawyers later said both of her arms were swollen, burned, and blistered. Pike was eventually taken by ambulance to a Nashville-area hospital, where medical assessment confirmed that she had burst arteries in her arms.
The resurfaced video has also drawn attention to comments made by Pike’s attorney around the time of the failed execution. Her lawyer said that while spending time with Pike on her scheduled execution day, one thing repeatedly concerned her.
"As I was with her throughout the day, one of the things she said over and over again was how awful this must be for Miss Slemmer's mother," the attorney recalled. "She was aching through that."
The old footage has also been shared alongside discussion of a letter Pike released through her spiritual adviser before the scheduled execution. In that letter, Pike said she was at peace and not afraid to die while thanking those who had supported her.
Christa Pike's condition remains critical following the failed execution. Her attorneys have said she is unconscious, intubated, and receiving breathing assistance through a ventilator. They also say she is being treated for significant burns on both arms following the failed IV attempts and lethal injections.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has ordered a comprehensive third-party review of the failed execution and halted the state's remaining scheduled executions for 2026. Tennessee’s prisons chief, Frank Strada, has also resigned following the incident.
What are your thoughts on Christa Pike's resurfaced apology video?
Image courtesy: X, NBC News
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