A first in the U.S. after 200 years! She will be executed for a murder that took place 31 years ago.

The execution of Christa Pike, who was convicted in Tennessee in 1995 of killing 19‑year‑old Colleen Slemmer, is being planned. If the 50‑year‑old Pike is executed by lethal injection, she would become the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

The execution is scheduled for 10:00 local time, 17:00 Turkey time. Pike's final legal appeal is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has rejected her pardon request. United Nations human‑rights experts have also called for the execution to be halted.

The 1995 murder sent a huge ripple through the public.

Christa Pike, then 18, killed Colleen Slemmer, whom she had met with her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp at a vocational training camp in 1995. Pike accused Slemmer of insulting her and attempting to take her boyfriend away from her.

During Slemmer's murder, a pentagram was carved into her chest, which drew widespread attention to the case in the public. Pike was sentenced to death about a year after the murder. At the time, 17‑year‑old Shipp received a life‑term sentence.

The defense team highlighted childhood trauma.

Pike's attorneys argue that their client was subjected to severe neglect and sexual abuse during childhood, and that these circumstances should be taken into account in assessing the sentence.

In the 1995 report by the defense-appointed forensic psychologist Diana McCoy, findings indicated that Pike was severely neglected by his family and had been sexually abused multiple times in childhood. However, Pike's attorney at the time did not call McCoy to testify at the trial.

Years later, in a retrial, the new defense team claimed that Pike had not received effective legal assistance. The courts rejected that claim.

Courts Did Not Alter the Execution Decision

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that there were insufficient grounds to mitigate Pike's sentence. The federal appellate court also noted that the jury was aware of Pike's difficult childhood during the trial.

In 2021, Pike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while in prison. The defense team also presented new findings on post‑traumatic stress disorder and brain injury. The court, however, ruled that this information would not alter the death‑penalty decision.

A Rare Execution for Women in Tennessee

In the United States, 18 women have been executed since the 1970s. It was noted that 1,663 men were executed in the same period.

If Pike's execution takes place, she will be the first woman to be executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

Pike requested that only female guards be present during the execution. She said that being held by male guards would amplify the traumas she had experienced in the past. State officials said they plan to escort Pike to the prison where the execution will take place with female guards, if possible.

Slemmer's Mother Wants the Execution to Take Place

May Martinez, the mother of the slain Colleen Slemmer, supports the execution of Pike, who is held responsible for her daughter's death.

Martinez said in a prior statement that Pike must pay for the crime he committed. In a statement to the BBC this week, he reiterated that view, saying he wants the pain his daughter has endured to end.

The group called Justice Coalition, which defends victims' rights, also organized a fundraising campaign so that Martinez could travel to Tennessee to watch the execution.

Pike Does Not Want Close Ones to Watch the Execution

Pike said he does not want any of his close ones to be present during the execution.

Sellars said that Pike does not want his close ones to testify. The two women met while Sellars was in a high‑security prison for robbery and murder charges.