Christa Pike, Tennessee's Only Woman On Death Row, Speaks Out Before Execution, 'Nervous About...'
After spending 31 years on death row, Christa Pike says she is at peace with her fate but admits she is 'nervous' about the process just days before her execution via lethal injection.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleTennessee is about to witness one of the most brutal occurrences in its legal history. For the first time in more than 200 years, the state will see the execution of a woman who was put on death row 31 years ago. Christa Pike, who became the youngest woman in the United States to get a death sentence, is now hours away from her execution.
Pike, now 50, has spent more than three decades behind bars for the 1995 killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. She was 18 when Slemmer was killed. In a letter shared with NBC News through her spiritual adviser, Pike said she was prepared for the possibility that her execution would go ahead.
Christa Pike says she is grateful for everyone's support and is now at peace
On Monday, September 28, 2026, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee denied Pike's legal team's request for clemency. Before the response was made public, Pike issued a handwritten letter, saying she is prepared for whatever decision was made.
The 51-year-old thanked everyone who has supported her through the journey, especially in the days before her execution date, saying the support has humbled her "beyond words." She wrote:
"I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who has supported me through these hard days. I’ve felt more love in the last two weeks than I have my entire life. Though there was an absence — when my people showed up for me — They have showed up and showed out! I am humbled beyond words."
Christa added that she is prepared to die if her clemency request is denied. She wrote, "Whether my clemency is granted or not, I am at peace. I am not afraid to die. I’m only nervous about the process."
In the letter, Pike also expressed gratitude to those who had taken the time to hear her perspective and look beyond the public image that has long surrounded her case. She concluded her letter by stating:
"I want to thank everyone for their time and attention in exposing my true character above the limited public persona that has been the only narrative. Also, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak in my own words. I wish you loving kindness!"
Pike's execution would mark a rare moment in Tennessee’s history, with historical records indicating that the last woman executed by the state was put to death in 1820.
Why was Christa Pike put on death row, but her accomplices did not?
Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy in connection with Slemmer’s death at the Knoxville Job Corps Center.
Prosecutors said Pike and two other young people lured Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps student, to an area near the University of Tennessee campus in January 1995. Slemmer was attacked and killed, and the case gained widespread attention because of the brutality of the crime and a pentagram carved into her chest.
Pike was the only one of the three to receive a death sentence. Her accomplices included her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp (17) and Shadolla Peterson (18). Shipp was a minor at the time of the murder, and he is now serving a life sentence in a Tennessee state prison. Peterson never served prison time and is out of custody because she acted as the lookout during the murder and turned state's evidence.
Christa Pike has never denied her role in Slemmer’s killing. In a clemency petition, she expressed remorse for what happened and said it took her years to fully understand the consequences of her actions. She said in the petition:
"I took the life of someone's child, sister, friend. It sickens me now to think I had the ability to commit such a crime."
Christa Pike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD. Her attorneys have asked Tennessee officials to reconsider the death sentence, citing her young age at the time of the crime, her childhood abuse, mental health, and circumstances surrounding her original trial. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee denied Pike's clemency request, saying in a statement:
"After deliberate consideration of Christa Gail Pike's request for clemency and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene."
Tennessee has scheduled Pike’s execution for Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 10 a.m. CDT at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction. The department’s records identify Pike as the state’s only female death-row prisoner.
What are your thoughts about Christa Pike's execution 31 years after Colleen Slemmer's murder?
Image courtesy: X, NBC News
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