US state set to execute first woman in over 200 years – her horrific crime revealed
The state of Tennessee may soon carry out its first execution of a woman in more than two centuries after the Tennessee Supreme Court approved a request to move forward with the death sentence of Christa Gail Pike. Pike, now 49 and the only woman currently on Tennessee’s death row, was just 18 years old when she committed one of the most infamous murders in the state’s modern history. The decision has reignited debate over capital punishment and the rare circumstance of a woman facing execution in Tennessee.
The case dates back to January 12, 1995, when Pike lured 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer into a secluded wooded area near the University of Tennessee’s agricultural campus. Both young women were students in the Knoxville Job Corps program, a federal initiative designed to provide education and job training. What began as tension between classmates soon spiraled into an act of shocking violence that would haunt the community for decades.
Investigators later said Pike had become convinced that Slemmer was interested in her boyfriend, 17-year-old Tadaryl Shipp. Prosecutors described Pike’s jealousy as intense and consuming, believing it fueled a plan to confront and punish Slemmer. What followed was not a spontaneous outburst, authorities argued, but a deliberate and premeditated attack carried out with cruelty.
According to court records, Pike was joined by Shipp and another teen, 16-year-old Shadolla Peterson, in the assault. The trio allegedly beat and tortured Slemmer in the isolated area, leaving her with devastating injuries. The brutality of the crime shocked even seasoned investigators, and the case quickly became one of the most notorious murders in Tennessee’s criminal history.
Pike was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, making her the only woman to receive such a sentence in Tennessee in modern times. Over the years, her case has moved through numerous appeals and legal challenges, delaying any execution date. Her status as the sole woman on death row has also made the case a focal point in discussions about gender and the application of the death penalty.
The Tennessee Supreme Court’s recent approval signals that the state is now closer than ever to carrying out Pike’s sentence. If the execution proceeds, it would mark the first time Tennessee has executed a woman since the early 1800s, a historical milestone that underscores how rarely female inmates face capital punishment in the United States.
For the family of Colleen Slemmer, the renewed legal movement brings back painful memories of a life cut short in an act of senseless violence. As Tennessee moves toward what could become a historic execution, the case remains a grim reminder of the lasting impact of violent crime and the long, often controversial path of the American death penalty system.
