Convicted Tennessee killer Christa Pike is set to face execution after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay that had temporarily spared her from execution. This decision makes her the first woman set to be executed in Tennessee since the early 1800s. The Supreme Court approved Tennessee’s request to vacate the stay issued by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, allowing Pike’s execution to proceed.
Legal Proceedings and Dissent
The Sixth Circuit had issued a stay in a 2-1 decision. The court was considering motions filed by Pike’s attorneys and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, alongside Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. She argued for caution, emphasizing the importance of considering Pike’s pending legal challenge before proceeding with the execution.
The Crime
Pike, now 50, was 18 in 1995 when she murdered her 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer in a violent attack. Court documents reveal that Pike, her boyfriend, and another accomplice participated in the murder, which Pike claimed took between 30 minutes and an hour. Both Pike and Slemmer were part of a vocational program in Knoxville called the Job Corps Center.
Pike accused Slemmer of pursuing her boyfriend and expressed her desire to kill Slemmer a day before the attack. Armed with a box cutter and a meat cleaver, Pike lured Slemmer to a park under the pretense of visiting a music store and retrieving hidden marijuana. Pike attacked Slemmer and called on her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, for assistance when Slemmer attempted to flee.
Trial and Psychological Evaluations
In court, experts like forensic psychiatrist Dr. William Bernet noted that the crime included ‘satanic elements’ and exhibited ‘collective aggression.’ Dr. Eric Engum diagnosed Pike with severe borderline personality disorder, cannabis dependence, and depression, although she showed no signs of brain damage or insanity.
During the trial, it was revealed that Pike took a piece of Slemmer’s crushed skull as a trophy. She later displayed this to classmates while sharing details of the crime.
Defense and Support
Pike’s defense was criticized for failing to present mitigating factors effectively, such as untreated bipolar disorder and PTSD from past trauma. A petition to commute her sentence to life in prison garnered nearly 25,000 signatures, advocating for clemency due to her mental health issues and past abuse.