Women’s groups and sexual abuse specialists have stepped up efforts to stop the execution next week of Christa Pike, a Tennessee death-row inmate who is scheduled to be put to death on 30 September.
Pike’s case has drawn unusual attention because she is the only woman on Tennessee’s death row and would be the first woman executed in the state for more than 200 years. Across the United States, she would be only the 18th woman executed in the past 50 years.
Trauma Arguments Set For Tennessee Supreme Court
Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the prolonged killing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a romantic rival. Prosecutors say the sentence should stand, while Pike’s lawyers and dozens of advocacy organisations argue the method and setting of an execution will amount to cruel and unusual punishment given her history of sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Picture courtesy of Knox News
They say Pike endured multiple rapes as a child, beginning before preschool. Court documents cited in the case describe years of abuse by her grandmother’s boyfriend, followed by a rape by a neighbour when Pike was 11. Records also say Pike later attempted suicide at 12. At 17, they say, a stranger attacked her while she was walking, forced her into woods and raped her again.
The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office has said it does not dispute the sexual violence Pike experienced or her PTSD diagnosis. The state’s position is that her death sentence reflects justice and that she must be held to account for the crime.
At a recent hearing, the state argued that the constitutional test does not require an execution to be painless, and that psychological harm alone does not necessarily breach the law.
Execution Could Trigger Abusive Memories, Groups Say
In a friend-of-the-court filing to the Tennessee Supreme Court on 10 September, women’s groups and experts argued that Pike is likely to relive assaults during the process of execution. They said corrections staff would restrain her head, arms and legs, while a doctor would administer a lethal injection, in circumstances they say could reproduce sensory cues linked to prior attacks.
The groups argued that survivors of extreme and prolonged sexual assault can experience flashbacks when triggered, and that such reactions are not simply “in their head”. They also pointed to Pike’s continued difficulties, including trouble with brushing her teeth, which they say can prompt memories of abuse.
Picture courtesy of The Tennessian
Prosecutors and the court, however, have said safeguards are in place to reduce the risk of needless suffering. At a three-day hearing, a psychologist testified for the defence that being strapped down by four guards and the period known as “death watch” could be highly triggering for Pike. “Death watch” involves close monitoring of inmates, largely to prevent suicide.
The defence sought assurances, including that the staff would be female. The state did not guarantee that all relevant guards would be women, but prosecutors said they would aim to keep men away from Pike.
A special master appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court concluded Pike did not prove it was likely she would experience needless suffering and said the Department of Corrections had minimised the potential for significant triggering. Measures cited included assigning female staff and providing a privacy screen for Pike to use while she takes a shower or goes to the toilet.
Murder Details, Court Steps, and Clemency Plea
Slemmer was killed on 12 January 1995. Pike, then 18, along with her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and another woman, lured Slemmer to woods near Knoxville, according to court documents. Prosecutors say Pike and accomplices tortured and murdered Slemmer, using a box cutter and a meat cleaver. They described kicks to her face, slicing her with the box cutter as she tried to flee, cutting her throat as she begged for mercy, and striking her head with a rock after a final attempt to escape. Documents also say Shipp carved a pentagram into Slemmer’s chest. Pike was sentenced to death; Shipp received a life sentence because he was 17 at the time and therefore not eligible for capital punishment.
On 23 September, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Pike was not entitled to a stay of execution based on her sexual abuse history. That left her legal team looking to clemency or further appeals, including to the US Supreme Court.
Pike has also sought mercy through a clemency petition. She told officials she was remorseful for killing Slemmer and argued she had been mentally ill at the time. Her lawyers say she takes mood-stabilising medication for bipolar disorder and PTSD, attends therapy and has learned coping tools, including painting and helping other women in prison.
Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, has said the execution would bring her long-awaited closure and that she plans to attend.
Join the discussion? 
27 September 2026
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment