ADP

Christa Gail Pike — Colleen Slemmer murder and Tennessee death-row case

Christa Gail Pike was convicted in 1996 and sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of fellow Knoxville Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer. Tennessee identifies Pike as its only woman on death row. Her case received renewed attention after a failed execution attempt in September 2026.

At a glance

What happened
Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in Colleen Slemmer's killing. The Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed her convictions and sentences in 1998. Its opinion describes a prolonged assault involving cutting and beating.
When
January 12, 1995: killing of Colleen Slemmer. 1996: conviction and death sentence. 1998: Tennessee Supreme Court affirmance. September 30, 2026: failed execution attempt. October 10, 2026: hospital discharge and return to prison reported by her lawyers.
Where
The killing occurred on the University of Tennessee agricultural campus in Knoxville, Tennessee. The September 2026 execution attempt occurred at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. Pike subsequently returned to Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center.
Why / motive
The Tennessee Supreme Court opinion recounts Pike's claims of conflict with Slemmer and her belief that Slemmer was pursuing her boyfriend. These are attributed statements in the court record, not an independently established account of Slemmer's actions.
Outcome
Pike received a death sentence for murder and a consecutive 25-year sentence for conspiracy. As reported by AP on October 12, 2026, she survived the September 30 lethal-injection attempt, was hospitalized, and returned to the women's prison after discharge. The reason the execution failed had not been established by Tennessee corrections officials.

Who is involved

  • Christa Gail Pike — subject

Sources

  1. Tennessee Department of Correction — Women on Death Row“In 1996, Pike was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer”
  2. State vs. Pike — Tennessee Supreme Court (1998)“Slemmer had been trying to get [her] boyfriend”
  3. State vs. Pike — factual background“The next day, January 12, 1995, at approximately 8:00 p.m.”
  4. AP — Emergency help was delayed after failed execution (October 12, 2026)“Pike was discharged from the hospital and returned to the women’s prison where she was housed for 30 years”

Sources last checked: Not recorded · Dossier last changed: · Editorially reviewed: Not yet reviewed.