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Tennessee executes child rapist victim
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Christa Pike, convicted of 1995 murder, faces Sept 30 execution in Tennessee. She would be the first woman executed there in over 200 years.
Background
Christa Pike was convicted of the 1995 torture and murder of Colleen Slemmer, a fellow Job Corps student, in Knoxville. Her legal team has filed a clemency petition arguing that her severe childhood sexual abuse, trauma, and mental illness should be considered. If executed, she would be the first woman put to death by Tennessee in over 200 years, and the first person executed in the state's modern era who was a teenager at the time of the offense.
How it unfolded
- 1995Christa Pike, then 18, was convicted of the torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer.
- Sep 3, 2026Pike's legal team files a clemency petition with Governor Lee, emphasizing her childhood abuse and mental illness.
- Sep 30, 2026Pike is scheduled to be executed, which would make her the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years.
Who’s saying what
- Legal team
- Pike's attorney Kelly Gleason argues that executing a victim of child rape would be a mistake, and that her actions cannot be separated from her documented abuse.
- State
- Tennessee has scheduled the execution, reflecting its stance that the crime warrants the death penalty.